The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (53 page)

Kolkwitzia
Graebn. (Caprifoliaceae). kol-
kwitz
-ee-uh. After Richard Kolkwitz (1873–1956), German botanist. 1 sp., deciduous shrub. China.

amabilis
Graebn. uh-
mah
-bi-lis. Beauty bush. Lat. beautiful.

kumquat
Citrus japonica

Labrador tea
Rhododendron groenlandicum

Laburnum
Fabr. (Fabaceae). luh-
burn
-oom. Golden rain tree. The Lat. name. 2 spp. deciduous trees. C and S Eur.

anagyroides
Medik. an-uh-gie-
roy
-deez. Lat. like
Anagyrus
, a related shrub.

×
watereri
(Wettst.) Dipp.
war
-tuhruh-ree. After the Waterer nursery, Knap Hill, Woking, Surrey, UK, where it was raised.
L. alpinum
×
L. anagyroides
. Cult.

Lactuca
L. (Asteraceae). lak-
tue
-kuh. From Lat. milk, referring to the white sap. 75 spp. ann. and bienn. herbs. Eur., Africa, Asia, N and C Am.

sativa
L. sa-
tee
-vuh. Lettuce. Lat. cultivated. Cult.

lad’s love
Artemisia abrotanum

lady of the night
Cestrum nocturnum

lady’s fingers
Abelmoschus esculentus, Anthyllis vulneraria

lady’s mantle
Alchemilla
.
alpine
A. alpina

lady’s slipper
Cypripedium, C. calceolus
.
Kentucky
C. kentuckiense
.
large yellow
C. parviflorum
var.
pubescens
.
mountain
C. montanum
.
showy
C. reginae
.
small white
C. candidum
.
small yellow
C. parviflorum
.
stemless
C. acaule

lady’s smock
Cardamine pratensis

Lagerstroemia
L. (Lythraceae). lag-uh-
strohm
-ee-uh. After Magnus von Lagerström (1696–1759), Swedish naturalist and merchant and a friend of Linnaeus. 55 spp., trees, shrubs. China, SE Asia to Australia.

indica
L.
in
-di-kuh. Crape myrtle. Lat. of India or the Indies. China, SE Asia.

lamb’s ears
Stachys byzantina

Lamiastrum galeobdolon
(L.) Ehrend. & Polatschek =
Lamium galeobdolon

Lamium
L. (Lamiaceae).
lay
-meeoom. Dead-nettle. Lat. name used by Pliny for a non-stinging, nettle-like plant. 20 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

galeobdolon
(L.) Crantz. gal-ee-
ob
-do-lon. Yellow archangel. Lat. name used by Pliny for a nettle-like plant, from Gk. weasel, smell. Eur., W Asia.

maculatum
L. mak-ew-
lah
-toom. Spotted dead-nettle. Lat. spotted (the leaves). Eur., N Africa.

orvala
L. or-
vah
-luh. Lat. name for a sage. SC Eur.

Lamprocapnos
Endl. (Papaveraceae). lamp-roh-
kap
-nos. From Gk. bright smoke, referring to the showy flowers and the fact that it was first described
in
Fumaria
. 1 sp., perenn. herb. China, Korea.

spectabilis
(L.) Fukuhara. spek-
tab
-ilis. Bleeding heart. Lat. spectacular.

lancewood
Pseudopanax crassifolius
.
toothed
P. ferox

land cress
Barbarea verna

Lantana
L. (Verbenaceae). lan-
tah
-nuh. Lat. name for a viburnum, from the similar inflorescence. 150 spp., herbs, shrubs. Trop. Am., Africa.

camara
L. kuh-
mah
-ruh. A native S American name. Mex., C and N S Am.

montevidensis
(Spreng.) Briq. montee-vid-
en
-sis. Of Montevideo, Uruguay. S Am.

lantern tree
Crinodendron hookerianum

Lapageria
Ruiz & Pav. (Philesiaceae). lap-uh-
jeer
-ree-uh. After Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie (1763–1814), first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. 1 sp., evergreen climber. Chile, Argentina.

rosea
Ruiz & Pav.
roh
-zee-uh. Chilean bellflower. Lat. pink (the flowers).

larch
Larix
.
Dunkeld
L.
×
marschlinsii
.
European
L. decidua
.
golden
Pseudolarix amabilis
.
Japanese
Larix kaempferi

Larix
Mill. (Pinaceae).
la
-rix. Larches. The Lat. name. 10 spp. deciduous trees. N hemisph.

decidua
Mill. di-
sid
-ew-uh. European larch. Lat. deciduous. Eur.

kaempferi
(Lamb.) Carrière.
kemp
-fuh-ree. Japanese larch. After German naturalist Engelbert Kaempfer (1651–1716), one of the first European botanists to visit Japan. Japan.

×
marschlinsii
Coaz. marsh-
linz
-ee-ee. Dunkeld larch. After Swiss naturalist Carl Ulisses von SalisMarschlins (1762–1818), on whose property it was found.
L. decidua
×
L. kaempferi
. Cult.

Lathyrus
L. (Fabaceae).
lath
-i-roos. Vetchling. Gk. name for pea. 150 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs, often climbing. N hemisph., S Am., Africa.

aureus
(Steven ex Fisch. & C. A. Mey.) D. Brândza.
aw
-ree-oos. Lat. golden (the flowers). E Eur., W and C Asia.

latifolius
L. lat-i-
foh
-lee-oos. Perennial pea. Lat. broad-leaved. Eur., N Africa.

odoratus
L. oh-do-
rah
-toos. Sweet pea. Lat. fragrant (the flowers). S Italy, Sicily.

vernus
(L.) Bernh.
vern
-oos. Spring vetch. Lat. of spring (flowering). Eur., W and C Asia.

laurel, Alexandrian
Danae racemosa
.
bay
Laurus nobilis
.
California
Umbellularia californica
.
cherry
Prunus laurocerasus
.
mountain
Kalmia latifolia
.
Portugal
Prunus lusitanica
.
sheep
Kalmia angustifolia
.
spurge
Daphne laureola

Laurus
L. (Lauraceae).
lo
-roos. Lat. name for
L. nobilis
. 2 spp. evergreen trees. Medit., Macaronesia.

nobilis
L.
noh
-bi-lis. Bay laurel, sweet bay. Lat. renowned. Medit.

laurustinus
Viburnum tinus

lavandin
Lavandula
×
intermedia

Lavandula
L. (Lamiaceae). la-
van
-dew-luh. Lavenders. From Lat. to wash, from its use in soaps. 39 spp., herbs, shrubs. Medit., Macaronesia, N Africa, India.

angustifolia
Mill. an-gus-ti-
foh
-leeuh. Common lavender, English lavender. Lat. narrow-leaved. S Eur.

×
chaytoriae
Upson & S. Andrews. chay-
to
-ree-ie. After English botanist Dorothy Chaytor (d. 2003), who worked on the genus.
L. angustifolia
×
L. lanata
. Cult.

×
christiana
Gattef. & Maire. krist-ee-
ah
-nuh. After Konrad Hermann Heinrich Christ (1833–1933), Swiss botanist.
L. canariensis
×
L. pinnata
. Cult.

dentata
L. den-
tah
-tuh. French lavender. Lat. toothed (the leaves). Spain, N Africa.

×
intermedia
Emeric ex Loisel. in-ter-
mee
-dee-uh. Dutch lavender, lavandin. Lat. intermediate (between the parents).
L. angustifolia
×
L. latifolia
. SW Eur.

pedunculata
(Mill.) Cav. ped-unk-ew-
lah
-tuh. Spanish lavender. Lat. with a (conspicuous) peduncle (the inflorescence). SW Eur., Morocco, Turkey.

stoechas
L.
stoy
-kuhs. French lavender. From the Gk. name used by Dioscorides, meaning from the Stoechades (now Iles d’Hyères), France. subsp.
pedunculata
(Mill.) Samp. ex Rozeira =
L. pedunculata

Lavatera arborea
L. =
Malva dendromorpha

×
clementii
Cheek =
Malva
×
clementii

maritima
Gouan =
Malva wigandii

olbia
L. =
Malva olbia

thuringiaca
L. =
Malva thuringiaca

lavender
Lavandula
.
common
L. angustifolia
.
Dutch
L.
×
intermedia
.
English
L. angustifolia
.
French
L. dentata, L. stoechas
.
Spanish
L. pedunculata

lavender cotton
Santolina chamaecyparissus

lead plant
Amorpha canescens

leatherleaf
Chamaedaphne calyculata

leatherwood
Eucryphia lucida
.
dwarf
E. milliganii

Ledum groenlandicum
Oeder =
Rhododendron groenlandicum

leek, garden
Allium ampeloprasum
Porrum Group.
three-cornered
A. triquetrum
.
wild
A. ampeloprasum

Legousia
Durand (Campanulaceae). luh-
gue
-see-uh. After French aristocrat and academic Bénigne Le Gouz de Gerland (1695–1774), who founded the botanic garden in Dijon. 6 spp. ann. herbs. Medit.

speculum-veneris
(L.) Chaix.
spek
-ew-loom-ven-
e
-ris. Venus’s looking glass. Lat. mirror of Venus. C and S Eur.

lemon
Citrus
×
limon

lemon balm
Melissa officinalis

lemon verbena
Aloysia citrodora

lemonwood
Pittosporum eugenioides

Lenten rose
Helleborus orientalis

Leonotis
(Pers.) R. Br. (Lamiaceae). lee-on-
oh
-tis. From Gk. lion’s ear, which the flowers have been said to resemble. 9 spp., perenn. herbs, sub-shrubs. Trop. and S Africa.

leonurus
(L.) R. Br. lee-on-
ew
-roos. Lion’s tail. Gk. a lion’s tail (the inflorescence has been likened to one).

Leontopodium
(Pers.) R. Br. (Asteraceae). lee-on-toh-
poh
-dee-oom. From Gk. lion’s foot. 58 spp. perenn. herbs. Eur., Asia.

alpinum
Cass. =
L. nivale
subsp.
alpinum