Property:Etymology
A
Presumably Arabic habb-el-misk, musk seed, alluding to scented seeds +
Latin abietis, of conifer genus Abies, and - ella, diminutive, alluding to habit aspect +
for Peder Chritian Abildgaard, 1740–1801, Danish professor of verterinary medicine +
Greek akalephe, stinging nettle, from a-, without, kalos, good, and haphe, touch, alluding to some species resembling Urtica (though not stinging) +
Greek akamptos, stiff or unbending, and pappus, alluding to thick pappus elements +
Greek akantha, thorn, and Cereus, a genus of cacti +
Greek acantha, thorn, and scyphos, cup, alluding to awn on involucre +
Greek acantha, prickle, and sperma, seed, alluding to prickly “fruits” +
Greek achyron, scale, and Latin achaenium, fruit, alluding to cypselae +
Greek achyron, chaff, and anthos, flower +
Greek achuron, chaff, and onyx, onychos, nail or fingernail, alluding to the chaffy sepals +
Greek a-, without, coelo, hollow, and raphe, in reference to shape of the seed +
Greek acon, whetstone, and gone, seed, perhaps alluding to rough seeds +
Greek akros, top, and poros, pore, possibly alluding to tubulose points of branches +
Greek akron, tip, and ptilon, feather, describing the pappus bristles +
Greek acros, at the end, tip, and stichos, row, referring to the distal spore-bearing pinnae +
Greek aktis, ray, and stachys, spike, referring to the rays of the fertile leaves +
Greek aden, gland, and kaulos, stem +
Greek adeno, gland, and phyllon, leaf +
Greek a den, gland, and stoma, mouth, alluding to gland at rim of hypanthium +
Greek mythology: sprouted from blood of Adonis, lover of Aphrodite, based on the blood red flowers +
A mythi-cal hermaphrodite monster, in reference to the original inclusion in Menispermaceae, where it was the only genus with bisexual flowers +
Greek Argemone from argemos, cataract of eye, alluding to supposed curative properties of plant for eye disease +
Greek agros, field, and stemma, crown or wreath, alluding to the flowers’ use in garlands +
Arabic name alkemelyeh, perhaps alluding to alchemists' interest in reputed marvelous powers of its dew +
Greek aletris, a female slave who ground corn, alluding to the mealy texture of the perianths +
for Robert Allen Rolfe, English botanist, 1855–1921 +
Genus Allium, garlic or onion, and Latin –aria, connection, alluding to odor of crushed plant +
Greek allos, other or different, and tropos, turn or direction, alluding to inflorescence +
Greek allo- , different, and genus Wissadula +
For Almut G. Jones, b. 1923, American Aster specialist +
for Clas Alströmer, 1736–1794, Swedish naturalist and pupil of Linnaeus +
Latin alternans, alternating, and anthera, anther, referring to the alternation of pseudostaminodes and stamens +
For Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras, ca. 1485 – 1541, member of Cortez’s expedition to Mexico +
Greek amarantos, unfading, nonwith ering +
Generic name Amauria, and Greek - opsis, resembling +
Pre-Linnaean genus name Amberboi Vaillant, cited by Linnaeus in his original publication of Centaurea +
Greek ambly, blunt, and lepis, scale +
Greek ambly -, blunt, and pappos, pappus +
Greek amblys, blunt, and stege, roof, alluding to obtuse operculum +
Old Savoy name for Amelanchier ovalis Medikus +
America plus orchis, from the American distribution of this close relative of Eurasian Orchis +
merged Greek amiantos, unsoiled, and anthos, flower, alluding to the glandless tepals +
Greek ampelos, vine, alluding to habit, and generic name Aster +
Greek ampelos, grapevine, and -opsis, similarity +
Greek amphi -, around, and achyron, chaff or husks, alluding to ring of pappus elements +
Variant of Amphoridium (nomenclaturally unavailable), diminutive of Greek amphora, flask, alluding to capsule shape +
Greek amphi- , double or two, and pappos, pappus alluding to dimorphic pappi, ray cypselae and disc cypselae +
Greek amphi- , doubtful, ambiguous, and Latin scirpus, bulrush +
Greek ana- , back, kamptos, bent, and odon, tooth, alluding to reflexed exostome teeth +
Greek ankistron, fish hook, referring to hooked centr al spines, and Cactus, an old genus name +
Greek ankistros, fishhook, and karphos, chaff, alluding to staminate paleae of type species +
Genus Andreaea and Greek bryon, moss, alluding to anomalous resemblance +
Greek andros, stamen, and stephanos, crown, alluding to the apical appendages of the united filaments +
For Aven Nelson, 1859–1952, American botanist who studied the flora of Wyoming and neighboring states +
Greek aneimon, without clothing, referring to the absence of blade protection for the sporangia +
Greek anisos, unequal or dissimilar, and karpos, fruit, alluding to contrasting ray (fertile) and disc (sterile) ovaries in type species +
Greek anoiktos, opened, and angos, container, alluding to wide-mouthed capsule +
Greek anomos, lawless or different, and bryon, moss, alluding to somewhat hypnaceous distal laminal cells +
Latin antenna, and aria, connection to or possession of, alluding to similarity of clavate pappus bristles in staminate florets to antennae of some insects +
Greek anti, like or resembling, and rhinos, nose, alluding to shape of corolla +
Greek anti, opposite, and thrix, hair, alluding to endostome segments opposite exostome teeth +
Latin anulus, ring, and caule, stem, in reference to the sticky internodal rings +
For Johan Ångström, 1813–1879, Swedish bryologist +
Greek aphanes, unseen, invisible, alluding to inconspicuous nature of plants and/or flowers +
Greek, aphanes, invisible,and rhegma, fracture, alluding to inconspicuous line of capsule dehiscence +
Greek aphanes, obscure, and stephanos, crown, apparently alluding to low coronal pappus of some species +
Greek a-, not or without, and phragma, septum, alluding to its lack in fruit of some species +
Greek a- , without, podos, foot, and anthera, anther, alluding to sessile anthers +
Greek, from aquatic habitat +
Genus Arabis and Greek opsis, resembling +
Greek arceuthos, juniper, and bios, life, alluding to A. oxycedri, which parasitizes that host +
Greek arche, primitive form or nature, alluding to small, simple plants and cleistocarpous capsule +
Greek arktos, northern, and anthemon, flower, alluding to arctic range +
Greek arktos, bear, alluding to the long-pilose pubescence, and mekon, poppy +
Greek arktos, bear, and staphyle, bunch of grapes, alluding to common name for A. uva-ursi +
Greek arktos, brown bear, and theke, case, capsule, container, alluding to dense, woolly tomentum of cypselae of some species +
Greek arktos, brown bear, and ous, otos, ear, perhaps alluding to shape of pappus scales +
Greek argyros, silver, and chosma, powder, referring to whitish farina covering the abaxial surface of leaf blades in most species +
Greek argyros, silver-white, and thamnos, shrub, alluding to trunk and branches covered with whitish bark +
The genus Aria and Greek karpos, fruit, referring to the Aria -like fruit +
Greek aris, plant name used by Pliny, and haima, blood, in reference to the red-spotted leaves of some species +
Latin arista, awn, and capsa, box, alluding to awned involucres +
Greek aristolocheia, birthwort, from aristos, best, and lochia, delivery, in reference to ancient use of herb as aid in childbirth +
Ancient Greek name for horseradish, or perhaps Celtic ar, near, mor, sea, and rich, against, alluding to habitat +
Greek Aria, name for whitebeam (formerly a species of Sorbus), alluding to resemblance to chokeberry fruit +
Greek, arrhen, strong, and pteron, feather or wing, possibly alluding to featherlike evenness of leaf arrangement +
Greek arthro- , jointed, and cneme, leg, between knee and ankle, internode, referring to the jointed appearance of the branches +
Greek arunkos, goat’s beard, alluding to showy fingerlike clusters forming feathery flowers +
Greek a, absence, and semion, sign or flag, alluding to distinctness from Polygala in absence of vexillum +
Greek asphodelos, flower of Hades and the dead +
Greek aspis, shield, and karpos, fruit, alluding to shape of nutlet of A. hirtella in abaxial view +
Greek a-, without, and stilbo, sheen, alluding to foliage otherwise resembling that of Aruncus +
Greek astron, star, and anthos, flower, alluding to head as seen from above +
Greek astro, star, and lepis, scale, in reference to the starlike scales on the adaxial blade surface +
Greek asteros, star, in reference to the star-shaped stem cross section of the type species, and phyton, plant +
For Atamisco region of Chile +
Greek a- , without, trichos, hair, and seris, chicory, alluding to lack of pappus +
Greek aulax, furrow, and mnion, moss, alluding to sulcate capsules +
Latin aureolus, golden, and -arius, possession, alluding to corolla +
Greek axyros (a, not, and xyrios, razor), blunt, not cutting, in reference to the mild taste +
B
For Jacob Whitman Bailey, 1811–1857, researcher of diatomaceous algae at the U.S. Military Academy +
For Saint Barbara, fourth-century, or perhaps alluding to being the only plants available for food on Saint Barbara’s Day (4 December) +
For Theodore M. Barkley, 1934–2004, North American botanist +
For John Russell Bartlett, 1805–1886, United States Commissioner of the U.S.-Mexico Boundary Survey +
Genus Bartramia and Greek -opsis, resembling +
Greek basis, base, and phyllon, leaf, referring to the single basal leaf +
For David M. Bates, b. 1935 American botanist, and Latin malva, mallow +
apparently based on a vernacular name in western India +
For Carlo Antonio Lodovico Bellardi, 1741–1826, professor of botany at University of Turin +
Latin bellus, beautiful, and genus Barbula +
Greek (Latinized) belos, arrow, and glotta, tongue, possibly alluding to sagittate lip +
For Gilbert Thereon Benson, 1896–1928, Stanford University botanist +
For Jacob Pierre Berthoud van Berchem, eighteenth-century Dutch mineralogist and naturalist +
for Alwin Berger, 1871–1931, German cactologist and horticulturist at La Mortola, Italy, and Cactus, an old genus name +
For Jean Louis Berlandier, 1805–1851, Belgian explorer in North America +
For Carlo Giuseppe Bertero, 1789–1831, Italian physician and botanist who settled in Chile +
For Billie Lee Turner, b. 1925, American botanist +
Greek blennos, mucus, and sperma, seed, alluding to cypselae becoming mucilaginous when wetted +
Greek blepharis, eyelash, and pappos, pappus, alluding to ciliate pappus scales +
For Luis Blet, a Catalonian apothecary of the eighteenth century who accompanied Ruiz and Pavón on their New World explorations +
for H. G. Bloomer, 1821–1874, early San Francisco botanist and one-time botanical curator at the California Academy of Sciences +
abridged from old Latin name Bulutaparon +
Blysmus, a genus name, and Greek - opsis, likeness +
For Tyge Wittrock Böcher, 1909–1983, Danish cytogeneticist who worked on subarctic flowering plants +
For Henry Nicholas Bolander, 1831–1897, physician and collector for California State Geological Survey +
Greek bolbos, a bulb, and schoenos, a rush, reed, in reference to the presence of corms +
For Alexander Karlovich Boschniak, 1786–1831, Russian botanist +
Greek botrychos, stalk of bunch of grapes, and Latin ium, diminutive, alluding to appearance of sporangial clusters on sporophore +
For Samuel Boykin, 1786–1848, planter, physician, and naturalist of Milledgeville, Georgia +
Greek brachys, short, and elyma, veil, alluding to diminutive calyptra +
Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tunic, evidently alluding to covering of short hairs on seeds +
Greek brachys, short, and odontion, small tooth, alluding to peristome teeth +
Greek brachys, short, and hy menion, little membrane, alluding to poorly developed endostome +
Greek brachys, short, and stigma, stigma +
Genus Brachythecium and Latin - astrum, incomplete resemblance +
Greek brachys, short, and theke, case, alluding to capsule +
For John Bradbury, 1768–1823, English naturalist, collector for the Liverpool Botanic Garden in the Missouri Territory, 1810–1811 +
For Townshend Stith Brandegee, 1843 – 1925, California botanist, explorer and collector, civil engineer, topographer +
for Christoph Brasen, 1738-1774, Moravian missionary and plant collector in Greenland and Labrador +
For Franz Gabriel de Bray, 1765–1832, French ambassador to Bavaria, head of Regensberg Botanical Society +
For Jacob Breyne, 1637–1697, and his son Johann Philipp Breyne, 1680–1764, Polish botanists +
For John Brickell, 1748–1809, Irish-born physician and naturalist who settled in Georgia (not John Brickell, 1710?–1745, Irish naturalist who visited North Carolina ca. 1729–1731 and published on the natural history of North Carolina in 1737) +
Generic name Brickellia and Latin - astrum, indicating inferiority or an incomplete resemblance +
For Viktor Ferdinand Brotherus, 1849 – 1929, Finnish bryologist +
for Pierre Marie Auguste Broussonet (1761-1807), French biologist at Montpellier +
for Morten Thrane Brunnich, 1737–1827, eighteenth-century Danish naturalist +
Greek, bryon, moss, and Lewis Edward Anderson, 1912 – 2007 American bryologist +
Greek bryon, moss, and for Elizabeth G. Knight Britton, 1858–1934, American botanist +
For Howard Alvin Crum, 1922–2002, American bryologist +
Greek bryon, moss, erythros, red, and phyllon, leaf +
For Elva Lawton, 1896 – 1993 American bryologist +
Greek bruein, to burgeon or sprout, alluding to rapid growth of herbaceous stems produced annually from large perennial roots +
Greek bryo, swell, and phyllon, leaf +
Greek bryon, moss, and xiphium, sword, alluding to plant form +
From Monte Buckland, mountain of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, name commemorating William Buckland, 1784–1856, geologist, canon of Christ Church, Oxford, dean of Westminster from 1845, and Latin -ella, diminuntive +
Greek bolbos, bulb, and phyllon, leaf, referring to its leafy pseudobulb +
Latin bulbus, bulb, and stylus, style +
C
Genus name Cacalia and Greek - opsis, like +
For J. L. Calandrini, 1703–1758, Swiss botanist +
Greek chalepaino, term used by Theophrastus probably in connection with weedy plants +, some authors believe it derived from Arabic Haleb (erroneously rendered Chaleb by some), name for the Syrian city Aleppo, but highly unlikely since Adanson based it on Bauhin’s Myagrum monospermum minus, collected in southern France +
Greek kallaion, cockscomb, alluding to lobed or corrugated outgrowths on samara between lateral and dorsal wings in the type species, C. nicaraguense +
Greek kallos, beauty, and klados, branch or shoot, alluding to habit +
Latin callum, hardened or thick, costa, rib, and -ella, diminutive, alluding to strong costae +
Greek kallos, beauty, and ergon, work, alluding to appearance +
Genus Calliergon and Latin -ella, diminutive +
Greek kallos, beautiful, and trichos, hair, presumably alluding to fine leaves of some growth forms +
Greek callos, beautiful, and treis, three, referring to the beauty of the plants and the three-whorled leaves and cone scales +
Greek callos, beautiful, and kedros, cedar +
Greek kalos, beautiful, and chortos, grass +
Greek kalos, beautiful, and phyllon, leaf +
Greek kalos, beautiful, and pogon, beard, alluding to hairlike protuberances on lamellae +
Greek calyx, cup, and aden, gland, alluding to tack-glands of peduncular bracts and/or phyllaries +
Greek kályx, covering, cup, and anthos, flower +
Greek, calyx, cup, and carpos, fruit +
Greek kalyx, cup, and seris, chicory, alluding to shallow cups on apices of cypselae +
Greek caly, sheathed or covered, and dory, spear, most likely alluding to the spear-shaped buds enclosed until anthesis within the rhipidial spathes +
Greek kalymma, covering, and peiro, pierce, alluding to fissured calyptra +
Greek kalypto, covered or hidden, and karpos, fruit +
Greek kalyptra, cap or cover, and anthos, flower, alluding to calyx covering stamens in flower bud +
Greek chamai, dwarf or on the ground, and linon, flax, alluding to suppressing influence on growth of flax +
For Ludolf Karl Adelbert von Chamisso, 1781–1838, French-born German botanist +
Genus Camissonia and Greek -opsis, resemblance +
Genus Campylium and Greek adelphos, brother, alluding to similarity +
Greek kampylos, crooked, and kentros, spur, alluding to the floral lip with a long, slender, sharply curved spur +
Greek kampylos, curved, and neuron, nerve, in reference to the venation +
Greek kampylos, bent, and phyllon, leaf, alluding to recurved leaves +
Genus Campylopus and Latin -ella, diminutive +
Greek campylos, curved, and pous, foot, alluding to curved seta +
Greek kampylos, bent, and stele, pillar, alluding to curved seta +
Canada and Greek anthos, flower, alluding to mainly Canadian distribution +
Greek kardio, heart, and nema, thread, alluding to the obcordate anthers and slender filaments +
Alluding to imagined resemblance of leaves or fruits to those of a fig, Ficus carica, erroneously thought to be from Caria in southwestern Asia Minor +
For Sherwin Carlquist, b. 1930, Californian botanist +
For Bassiani Carminati, eighteenth-century Italian author of book on hygiene, therapeutics, and materia medica +
For Andrew Carnegie, 1835–1919, Scottish-born American philanthropist and patron for systematic studies of cacti +
For William Marbury Carpenter, 1811–1848, Louisiana physician and botanist +
Greek karphos, chaff, and phoros, bearing, alluding to receptacular paleae +
Greek karphos, chaff, and chaite, long bristle +
Latin carpinus, hornbeam, possibly from carpentum, a Roman horse-drawn vehicle with wheels made from its hard wood +
Greek karpos, fruit, and brota, edible things +
For Bartholomaeus Carrichter, sixteenth-century herbalist, alchemist, and physician to Emperor Maximilian II +
Classical Latin, from Greek kastanaion karuon, nut from Castania, probably referring either to Kastanaia in Pontus or Castana in Thessaly +
For Domingo Castillejo, 1744–1793, Spanish botanist +
Neo-Latin casuarius, cassowary, from resemblance of drooping branchlets to feathers of the cassowary +
Greek kata, down, and skopeo, look, alluding to orientation of capsule mouth +
Greek kaulos, stem, and anthos, flower, alluding to insertion of flowers along stem +
Greek caulos, stem, and phyllos, leaf +
Greek keleos, burning, alluding to color and/or appearance of the inflorescence of C. cristata +
Classical Latin, Pliny's name for Celtis australis Linnaeus, the "lotus" of the ancient world +
Greek kentaurieon, ancient plant name associated with Chiron, a centaur famous for knowledge of medicinal plants +
Latin centrum, center, and atherum, prickle or awn, perhaps alluding to spine-tipped middle phyllaries of original species +
Latin centron, prickle, and generic name Madia +
Greek kentron, spur and stegion, roof, alluding to arched saccate spurs at base of involucre +
Greek kephale, head, and anthera, anther +
Greek keratos, horn, and odon, tooth, alluding to peristome teeth forked like goat horns +
Greek ceratos, horn, and phyllon, leaf +
Greek cerato, horned, and pteris, fern, referring to the antlerlike fertile leaf +
Greek keratos, horned, and theke, case, alluding to barbed fruit +
Greek kerkos, tail, and karpos, fruit +
Greek chaino, to gape, and aktis, ray, alluding to enlarged peripheral corollas of type species +
Greek chaino, open, and melon, apple, alluding to mistakenly presumed splitting of fruit +
Greek chaino, to gape, and rhis, snout, alluding to open throat of corolla as compared to Antirrhinum and Linaria +
Greek chaite, long hair, bristles, and adelphe, sister, alluding to adnation of awns and bristles of pappi +
Greek chaite, long hair, and pappos, pappus +
Greek chamai, low, and batos, bramble, alluding to habit +
Genus Chamaebatia and Latin - aria, connection, alluding to resemblance +
Greek, chamae -, creeping, low, on the ground, and generic name Chaenactis +
Greek chamai, on the ground, or dwarf, and cyparissos, cypress +
Greek chamai, dwarf, and daphne, laurel, alluding to low habit and persistent leaves +
Greek chamai, on the ground, and dorea, gift, in reference to small, low-growing palms of great beauty +
Greek chamae, on the ground, and lirion, white lily +
Greek chamae- , on the ground, lowly, creeping, and melon, orchard, alluding to common habitat +
Greek chamae-, on the ground or dwarf, and nērion, oleander, alluding to resemblance of flower color and foliage +
Greek chamai, dwarf, and rhodon, rose, alluding to appearance of plants +
For J. A. C. Chaptal, 1756–1831, who invented the wine-making process called chaptalization +
Greek chasme, gap, and anthos, flower, alluding to the shape of the flower +
Greek cheilos, margin, and anthus, flower, referring to the marginal sporangia +
Greek cheilidon, swallow (bird), perhaps from lore reported by Aristotle and others that mother swallows bathe eyes of their young with the sap +
Greek chelon, tortoise, alluding to fancied resemblance between flower back and tortoise back +
Greek chen, goose, and pous, foot, in reference to the shape of the leaf +
Greek cheima, winter, and philia, love, alluding to evergreen habit +
Greek chion, snow, and doxa, glory or repute +
Greek chion, snow, and philios, loving, alluding to high-elevation habitats +
Greek chloros, green, and akantha, thorn +
Greek chlor -, green, and Crambe, a genus of Brassicaceae +
Greek chloros, green, and gala, milk, alluding to the lather-producing juice of the bulbs +
Greek chloros, green or yellow-green, and pyros, fire, hence red or yellow, alluding to yellowish green plants +
Name used by Dioscorides for plant that exudes milky juice or gum +
Greek choris, asunder or separate, and spora, seed, alluding to fruit breaking at constrictions into one-seeded segments +
Greek chorizo, to divide, and anthos, flower, alluding to tepals +
Greek chroma, color, and laina, cloak, evidently alluding to the colored phyllaries of some species, including the type +
Greek chrysos, gold, and actinos, ray +
Generic name Chrysanthemum and Latin -oides, resembling +
Greek chryseos, golden, and genus Hypnum +
Greek chrysos, golden, and balanos, acorn or fruit, alluding to yellow fruits of some individuals of C. icaco +
Greek chrysos, gold, and gonos, seed, apparently alluding to the bright yellow, hemispheric capitula or to the fertile cypselae from the cypsela-complexes of the ray florets +
Greek chrysos, gold, and lepis, scale, referring to yellow glands on various organs of the plant +
Greek chrysos, gold, and phyllon, leaf +
Greek chrysos, gold, and opsis, appearance or likeness, alluding to yellow corollas +
Greek chrysos, gold, and splenos, spleen, alluding to color of flowers and to alleged medical properties +
Greek chryseos, golden, and thamnos, bush +
Greek chylos, juice or succulence, and -isma, condition, alluding to fleshy leaves of C. scapoidea, the type species +
Genus Chylismia and Latin -ella, diminutive, alluding to flower size +
For Bernardo Cienfuegos, ca. 1580 – ca. 1640, Spanish botanist +
Latin cimex, bug, and fugare, to drive away +
Greek kinklis, latticed gate, and eidos, shape or form, alluding to endostome +
Greek kinnamomon, cinnamon +
Greek kirkaia, a poetic name, alluding to mythical enchantress Circe’s usage of an unknown plant as a charm +
Latin cirrus, curl, and Greek phyllon, leaf, alluding to appearance +
generic name Cistus (rockrose) and Greek anthos, flower, in reference to similarity of the flowers +
Generic name Citrus and Latin - ellus, diminutive, alluding to supposed resemblance of fruits +
Greek klao, break, and podion, little foot, apparently alluding to fragile setae +
For “Dr. Asahel Clapp, of New Albany, Indiana, one of the most zealous botanists of our Western States….” Quoted from protologue. +
Greek klasma, fragment, and odon, tooth, alluding to irregularly bifid endostome +
Greek kleistos, closed, alluding to lip and petals that diverge only near apex, forming tube for most of their length, the flower thus appearing closed +
Greek kleistos, unopened, and karpos, fruit, alluding to indehiscent capsule without operculum +
Origin obscure, perhaps from Greek kleos, glory, or after Kleo, Greek muse of history, first used by Priscian, fourteenth-century medical writer +
Genus Cleome and serrata, serrate, alluding to leaflet margins +
For William Clifton, vital dates unknown, first attorney general of Georgia (1754–1764), later Chief Justice of West Florida +
Greek klimakion, small stair or ladder, alluding to broad perforations of endostome segments united by transverse tissue resembling rungs of a ladder +
Greek cnide, nettle, and skolos, thorn, alluding to stinging hairs +
Greek, coccos, seed or berry, and lobos, capsule or pod, alluding to fleshy hypanthium surrounding fruit +
Greek coccos, berry, and thrinax, trident or winnowing fork +
Latin cochlear, spoon, alluding to leaf shape of some species +
Distorted Greek kodon, bell, and phoras, bearing, alluding to capsules with bell-shaped calyptrae +
Greek koilos, hollow, and glossa, tongue +
Greek kilos (Latin coelus), hollow, and phragmos, partition, alluding to deep pits on sides of fruit septum where seeds are located +
For Auguste Henri Cornut de Coincy, 1837–1903, Spanish botanist, discoverer of first species described +
Greek koleos, sheath, and gyne, female, alluding to thin staminal tubelike sheath surrounding ovary and style +
Latin coluber, racer snake, perhaps alluding to twisting of deep furrows on stems of some species +
Columbia (River), and doria, an early name for goldenrods +
Greek komaros, arbutus, and staphyle, cluster of grapes, alluding to resemblance of fruit clusters to those of Arbutus unedo +
Latin, derived from a name applied by Pliny the Elder to a climbing plant of uncertain identity +
Greek kommi, gum, and carpos, fruit, in reference to gummy-glandular fruit +
For Antonio Condal, 1745–1804, Spanish physician who accompanied Peter Loefling on a journey up the Orinoco River +
Latin conus, cone, and genus Mitella, alluding to hypanthium shape and general resemblance +
Greek konos, cone, and karpos, fruit, alluding to shape of densely clustered fruits +
Greek konos, cone, and kline, bed, alluding to conic receptacles +
Greek conos, cone, and pholis, scale, alluding to conelike inflorescences +
Greek konos, cone, and stoma, opening, alluding to operculum +
For Hermann Conring, 1606–1681, German professor of medicine and philosophy at Helmstedt +
For Lincoln Constance, 1909–2001, Californian botanist +
Latin convallis, valley +
Greek korallion, coral, and rhiza, root, referring to coral-like appearance of branching, underground rhizome +
Greek kordyle, club, and anthos, flower, alluding to somewhat clavate corolla +
Greek koreos, bug, and karpos, fruit, alluding to pectinately winged cypselae of original species +
Greek korethron, broom, and gyne, female, alluding to style-branch appendages +
Greek coris, bug, and spermum, seed +
Latin corrigia, shoelace, perhaps alluding to the slender stems +
Greek coryph, head/helmet/crown, and Greek anthos, flower, refe rring to the apical location of flowers in contrast with the ring of lateral flowers in the related genus Mammillaria +
Greek koskinon, sieve, and odon, tooth, alluding to peristome +
Latin cotoneum, quince, and - aster, incomplete resemblance, alluding to similarity of leaves in some species +
Greek kotyledon, a cup-shaped hollow, alluding to leaf form of a plant now placed in Umbilicus +
Greek Krataigon, thorn, from Greek kratos, strength, and akis, sharp tip, alluding to thorns of some species +
Greek cratos, strong, and neuron, nerve, alluding to leaf costa +
Greek krepis, slipper or sandal, possibly alluding to shape of cypselae, a name of a plant in writings by Theophrastus +
Greek krokos, saffron, and anthemon, flower, alluding to petal color +
Greek krokis, downy fibers of woolen cloth, and - idium, diminutive, alluding to axillary tomentum +
Greek krokos, crocus, and osme, scent, because the dried flowers boiled in water smell like the spice saffron obtained from that plant +
Greek kropion, scythe, and ptilon, wing or feather, perhaps alluding to perceived winglike or featherlike appearance of curved, pinnately toothed leaves, the allusion to “feather” explicit by Rafinesque, “col. feather,” but not explained +
Greek krossos, fringe or tassel, and -idion, diminutive, alluding to tassel-like fringe on adaxial surface of costa +
Greek krossos, fringe, and petalon, petal, alluding to fimbriate petals of the type species +
Greek krossos, fringe or tassel, and soma, body, alluding to aril +
Greek cryptos, hidden, and gramme, line, referring to the ± marginal soral bands hidden by revolute margins +
Greek ktenos, comb, and lepis, scale, apparently alluding to stiffly spreading cilia on margins of stipules +
Latin cuniculus, rabbit, and tinus, shrub, thus rabbit brush, commonly used name for species of Chrysothamnus in the broad sense +
For William C. Cusick, 1842–1922, Oregon plant collector +
Greek kyklos, circle, and antheros, blooming, alluding to single, ringlike stamen +
Greek kyklos, circle, and diktyon, net, alluding to large laminal cells +
Greek cyclo, circular, and pogon, beard, perhaps in reference to pubescent bases of sepals of the type species +
Latin cylindrus, cylinder, and Opuntia, the genus from which this segregate was removed +
Latin cymbalum, rounded, concave, and -aria, resemblance, alluding to leaf shape +
Greek kyma, wave, and phyll, leaf, in reference to the undulate-margined leaves +
Greek kynos, dog, odon, tooth, and -ium, diminutive, alluding to peristome +
Greek kynos, dog, and phallos, penis, alluding to brilliant red color inside rupturing fruits, which reminded early botanists of a dog’s penis +
Greek, kyphos, bent, humped, and meris, part, in reference to the gibbous fruit +
Greek Kypris, Aphrodite, and Latin pes, foot, perhaps an orthographic error for Greek pedilon, slipper +
Greek kypsele, a hollow box or chest, such as a beehive, which the capsule is thought to resemble +
For Dominico Cirillo, 1739–1799, Italian physician and professor of natural history, University of Naples +
Greek kyrtos, curved or arched, and hypnon, moss, alluding to incurved dry leaves +
Greek kyrtos, curved or arched, and mnion, moss, alluding to capsules +
Greek kyrtos, curved swelling, and podium, foot, probably alluding to conspicuous column foot +
Greek kystos, bladder, and pteris, fern, alluding to the indusium, which is inflated when young +
D
Greek dakryo, weep, and phyllon, leaf, alluding to tearlike appearance of proximal prorulae of basal laminal cells +
Greek dactylos, finger, and rhiza, root, in reference to the fingerlike tuberoids of the more primitive species +
For Jacques Daléchamps (or D’Aléchamps), 1513–1588, French surgeon and botanist +
Greek, ancient name +
For William Darlington, 1782–1863, Philadelphia botanist +
Greek dasy- , thick- or dense-, and lirion, white lily, alluding to the compact arrangement of flowers in the inflorescence +
Cited by Dioscorides as Roman name for a species of Catananche Linnaeus (Asteraceae), applied here possibly alluding to similarity +
Greek dekas, ten, and odon, tooth, alluding to combination of five sepals and five alternating epicalyx segments +
For Charles Deering, frequent sponsor of J. K. Small in his botanical explorations +
Greek deire, neck, and gyne, pistil or woman, referring to sepals that sit on top of ovary and form a necklike extension +
For “Dom. Delaire,” who sent a specimen to Lemaire from a garden in the Orléans district of France +
Greek delos, visible, and sperma, seed, in reference to the seeds being exposed as the fruits dehisce +
Greek delphinion, derived from delphin, possibly for fancied resemblance of flowers of some species to classical sculptures of dolphins +
Greek dendron, tree, and genus Alsia, suggesting a dendroid Alsia +
Greek dendro, tree, and phylax, epiphyte or guardian, in reference to the epiphytic habit +
Named after A. W. Dennstaedt, 1826, German botanist +
Greek depas, saucer, referring to the saucerlike indusium of the type species, Deparia prolifera, which is aberrant in the genus +
For François Descurain, 1658–1740, French botanist and apothecary +
For Johann van der Deutz, ca. 1743–1784, Dutch merchant and patron of Carl Peter Thunberg +
Greek diamorphe, contrary or different form, alluding to fruit compared with that of related genera +
Latin Diana, Roman sylvan goddess, and - ella, diminutive suffix, alluding to the forest habitat and small stature +
Greek diapero, to pass through, alluding to pseudo-polytomous branching pattern (“proliferous inflorescence”) of type species +
Greek di - two, chaite, long hair, and - phore, bearer or carrier, alluding to the two awnlike pappus elements +
Greek dichelos, split hoof, and stemma, crown or garland, alluding to the bifid perianth appendages that form a corona +
Greek dicha, in two, and odontos, tooth, alluding to partially divided peristome teeth +
Greek di, two, chroma, color, and anthos, flower, indicating 2-colored nature of flowers +
Greek di, two, and koris, bug, alluding to the two, “buglike” cypselae of the original species +
Genus Dicranum and Latin -ella, diminutive +
Greek dicranon, pitchfork, and odon, tooth, alluding to forked peristome teeth +
Greek dikranos, twice-forked, and pteris, fern, derived from pteron, feather, in reference to the leaf architecture +
Greek dicranos, two-headed, and stegos, sheath or cover, alluding to two-lobed calyx +
Genera Dicranum and Weissia, alluding to relationship with Dicranum and fancied resemblance to Weissia +
Greek di -, two, and etos, year, alluding to biennial duration of the plants first named by Nuttall +
Latin digitalis, finger of a glove, alluding to resemblance of tubular flowers to glove fingers +
Latin dimorphus, having two forms, and carpus, fruit, alluding to production of two fruit types in some species +
Greek di- , two, morphe, shape, and theca, case or container, alluding to two forms of cypselae within each head +
Greek Dione, mother of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty whose Roman name was Venus +
Greek Dios, Zeus, and pyros, grain, Theophrastean fruit name of unknown application appropriated by Linnaeus +
Diphasium, a generic name, and -astrum, incomplete resemblance +
Greek dis, twice, and phyllon, leaf +
Greek di-, two, and physkion, little gut, alluding to double bladder of spore sac and capsule wall +
Greek dis-, two, and plakos, placenta, alluding to splitting of capsule into valves bearing parietal placentae +
Greek diplo- , double, and taxis, arrangement, alluding to number of seed rows in each locule of fruit +
Greek distichos, in two rows, alluding to leaves +
Greek di-, two, and trichos, hair, alluding to peristome split longitudinally into two segments +
Greek ditry, two or three, and syn, together, alluding to number and union of stamens +
For Manfred Dittrich, b. 1934, German botanist +
Greek dodeka, twelve, and hema, dart or javelin, alluding to involucral awns +
Greek dodeka, twelve, and theoi, gods, fanciful name given by Pliny to a primrose purportedly protected by the gods +
For Ignatz Doellinger (1770–1841), German botanist +
For James Donald Richards, 1920 – 1980, American bryologist +
For David Douglas, 1798–1834, Scottish botanist and collector in northwestern North America +
Greek drepane, sickle, and clados, branch, alluding to curvature of branch leaves +
Greek drosos, dew, and anthos, flower, in reference to the glistening papillae +
For Thomas Drummond, 1780 – 1835, Scottish botanist who collected extensively on two expeditions to North America +
Greek drymos, woods, and kallos, beauty +
Greek drys, oak, and petalon, leaf, alluding to resemblance of petal shape to leaves of some oaks +
Greek drys, tree, and pteris, fern +
Generic name Dyssodia and Greek - opsis, resembling +
E
For Alice Eastwood, 1859–1953, western American botanist +
Greek ekkremes, hanging, and -idium, diminutive, alluding to pendulous capsule +
Greek echinos, hedgehog, an d Cactus, an old genus name +
Greek echinos, spine, and Cereus, a genus of columnar cacti +
Greek echinos, hedgehog, and kystis, bladder, alluding to prickly, hollow fruits +
Greek echius, rough husk, and doros, leathern bottle, alluding to ovaries, which in some species are armed with persistent styles, forming prickly head of fruit +
Greek echinos, hedgehog, and masto, breast, referring to the spiny tubercles +
Greek echinos, hedgehog, and pepon, melon or pumpkin, alluding to prickly fruits +
Greek echinos, sea-urchin or hedgehog, and phyllon, leaf, alluding to spinose proximal leaf margins +
For Michael Pakenham Edgeworth, 1812–1881 Irish botanist and British civil servant in Bengal +
for Johann A. F. Eichhorn, 1779–1856, Prussian statesman +
Greek heleios, dwelling in a marsh, and charis, grace +
For Adolph Daniel Edward Elmer, 1870–1942, collector and botanist in western North America +
Greek eleutheros, free, and plectron, spur, referring to free spur of sepal +
Generic name Encelia and Greek -opsis, resembling +
Greek enkyklos, to encircle, referring to the lateral lobes of the lip, which encircle the column +
For George Engelmann, 1809–1884, German-American physician and botanist +
Greek entos, inside, and odon, tooth, alluding to peristome teeth inserted below capsule mouth +
Genus Entodon and - opsis, resembling, alluding to similarity +
Greek entosthi, within, and odon, tooth, alluding to position of teeth inside capsule +
Greek epi -, on, and dendron, tree, alluding to the epiphytic habit +
Greek epi, on, lobos, pod or capsule, and iov (ion), violet, alluding to violet flower at apex of fruit +
Greek epi, upon, and phyllon, a leaf, referring to flowers borne on leaves, actually phylloclades, leaflike stems +
Greek epi, upon, and pterigion, little wing, alluding to small dorsal leaves +
Greek epi, upon, thele, nipple, and anthos, flower, describing flower position near tubercle apex +
Greek epi-, upon, and xiphos, sword, alluding to sword-shaped persistent style +
Latin equis, horse, and seta, bristle, referring to the coarse black roots of E. fluviatile +
A name mentioned by Dioscorides, presumably for a plant now referable to Senecio or a related genus +
Greek eremos, desert, and krinon, lily +
Greek eremia, desert, and thera from genus Oenothera, probably alluding to habitat and likeness +
Generic name Erica and Greek meros, part or portion, alluding to resemblance of leaves +
Greek eri, early, or erio, woolly, and geron, old man, perhaps alluding to pappus, which becomes gray and accrescent in some species, or to solitary, woolly heads of some of species +
Greek erion, wool, and botrys, bunch of grapes, alluding to woolly inflorescences +
derived from Greek erion, wool, and caulos, stalk +
Greek erion, wool, and gony, knee, alluding to the hairy nodes of the species first described, E. tomentosum +
Greek erion, wool or cotton, and phoros, bearing +
Greek erion, wool, and phyllon, leaf +
Genus Eruca and Latin - astrum, resembling +
Greek eryso, to ward off or to cure, alluding to the supposed medicinal properties of some species +
Greek erythros, red, and anthe, bloom, alluding to corolla color of type species, E. cardinalis +
Greek erythros, red, alluding to the pink to purple flowers of Erythronium dens-canis +
For Johann F. G. von Eschscholtz, 1793-1831, Estonian physician and biologist who traveled with Chamisso on the Romanzoff (or Kotzebue) Expedition to the Pacific Coast +
Greek eu, well, and kalyptos, covered, alluding to deciduous calyptra covering stamens in flower bud +
Greek eu -, good or true, and chiton, tunic, alluding to ‘close-fitting’ clusters of bracts subtending clusters of heads +
Greek eu-, good or well, and klados, branch, alluding to well-developed whorls of stem leaves +
Greek eu-, good or pretty, and knide, nettle, alluding to stinging trichomes and showy flowers +
Greek eu, good or well, and kommi, gum, alluding to abundant latex in younger tissues of plant +
Greek eu-, good, and onyma, name, apparently applied ironically, the genus having had the bad reputation of poisoning cattle +
For Mithridates Eupator, King of Pontus, 132–63 B.C. +
Greek euphraino, to delight, alluding to supposed improvements in vision from the application of E. officinalis +
Genus Eurhynchium and Latin - astrum, incomplete resemblance +
Greek eurys, wide, and baios, few, perhaps alluding to the few, wide-spreading ray florets +
Alexander’s rock aster +
Greek eu- , well, truly, and trocho- , wheel-like, alluding to whorled leaves +
Greek exo -, outside, and chorde, string, alluding to free placentary cords external to carpels +
F
Latin fagus, beech, and Greek pyrus, wheat, alluding to resemblance of the achene to a beech-nut +
Classical Latin name, from Greek figos, an oak with edible acorns, probably from Greek fagein, to eat +
For August Fendler, 1813–1883, German-born plant collector in North and South America, early botanical explorer of southwestern United States +
For August Fendler, 1813–1883, botanical collector, and Latin -ella, honor +
Latin ferus, fierce or wild, referring to the horrid spines, and Cactus, the genus from which this segregate was removed +
Latin filum, thread, and - ago, possessing or resembling, alluding to abundant cottony indument +
Latin filum, thread, and pendulus, hanging, alluding to root tubers of F. vulgaris hanging together with threads +
Latin fimbria, fringe, and stylus, style +
For Carlo Giuseppe, Conte di Firmian, 1717 – 1782 Austrian statesman and Governor-General of Lombardy +
For Étienne de Flacourt, 1607–1660, Governor of Madagascar +
For Gottfried F. Fleischmann, 1777–1850, teacher of Schultz-Bipontinus at Erlangen +
For Marie-Jean-Pierre Flourens, 1794–1867, physiologist, perpetual secretary, Académie des Sciences, Paris +
Latin, of a spring, alluding to aquatic habitat +
For Johan Erik Forsström, 1775 – 1824, Swedish pastor and plant collector +
for Dr. John Fothergill, (1712-1780), London physician and patron of early American botany +
Latin fraga, fragrance, and aria, possession, alluding to sweet-smelling strawberry fruit +
Probably from Latin frango, to break, and -ula, diminutive, alluding to brittleness of twigs +
For Benjamin Franklin, 1706–1790, American statesman, diplomat, physicist, man of letters +
for F. H. T. Freese, d. 1876, student of C. F. Ecklon, 1795–1868, who first used the name (as Freesea), although in a different sense +
For John Charles Frémont, 1813 – 1890, U.S. military explorer and politician, and Greek dendron, tree +
Latin, fritillus, checkered, alluding to the markings on the tepals of many species +
for Joseph Aloys von Froelich, 1766–1841, German physician and botanist who published on Sonchus, Hieracium, and Gentiana +
for Antoine François de Fourcroy, 1755–1809, French chemist who helped establish the system of chemical nomenclature +
G
For M. Gaillard de Merentonneau (or Charentonneau?), eighteenth-century French patron of botanists +
For Mariano Martínez de Galinsoga, 1766–1797, court physician and director of the Botanic Garden, Madrid +
Greek gamos, union, and chaete, loose and flowing hair, alluding to basally connate pappus bristles +
For Abram P. Garber, 1838–1881, of Columbia, Pennsylvania, noted for his contributions to the flora of Florida +
For Nicholas Garry, 1782–1856, deputy-governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company from 1822–1835, diarist of his 1821 travels in the Northwest Territories, friend and benefactor of David Douglas +
For Jean-François Gaulthier, 1708–1756, botanist and physician of Québec +
For Louis Joseph Gay-Lussac, 1778–1850, French chemist +
For Claude Gay, 1800–1873, French author of Flora of Chile, and Greek phyton, plant +
Latin gemma, bud, and Greek bryon, moss, alluding to asexual reproduction +
Greek ge, earth, and kaulos, stalk, alluding to slightly subterranean and stemlike rhizome +
Greek geuo or geyo, to give relish, alluding to quality of roots of St. Benedict's herb, G. urbanum +
Latin glandula, gland, and Cactus, an old genus name +
Genus Globulina and Latin -ella, diminutive +
Greek glochis, projecting point or barb on an arrowhead, and -idion, smaller or little, alluding to pointed extension of anther connectives +
Greek glossa, tongue, and petalon, spreading, alluding to outspreading tongue-like petals +
Greek glossa, tongue, and stigma, spot, alluding to ligulate stigma +
Greek glyptos, carved, and pleura, rib, alluding to cypselae +
Greek gnaphalion, a downy plant, the name anciently applied to these or similar plants +
For William Gollan, 1855–1905, Scottish superintendent of Edinburgh Botanic Garden and collector in Kashmir +
Latin gossypion, cotton, and Greek anthemon, flower, presumably in reference to the villous tepals +
For Antoine Gouan, 1733–1821, French botanist and ichthyologist at Montpellier, director of botanical garden in 1767, later professor of botany and medicine +
Greek graptos, marked, and petalon, leaf, alluding to petals +
Latin gratia, graceful, and -ola, diminutive, alluding to medicinal qualities of some species +
for Asa Gray, 1810–1888, botany professor at Harvard, for many years the pre-eminent American botanist +
For Abel Joel Grout, 1867 – 1947, American bryologist +
Spanish mispronunciation of "Huaicum," Bahamas Islands Taino Amerindians' name for the tree and the medicine derived from its resin +
For Antoine Guillemin, 1796–1842, French botanist, author, and explorer +
For John Gundlach, 1810–1896, naturalist and traveler +
Possibly for Pedro Gutierrez, Spanish nobleman, not specified by Lagasca +
Greek gymnos, naked, and anthos, flower, alluding to highly reduced or absent perianth +
Greek gymnos, naked, and karpos, fruit, referring to the absence of indusia +
Greek gymnos, naked, and sperma, seed, alluding to epappose cypselae +
Genus Gymnostomum and Latin -ella, diminutive +
Greek gymnos, nude, and stoma, mouth, alluding to lack of peristome +
Genus Gynandra (Orchidaceae), and Greek opsis, resemblance +
Greek gypsos, gypsum, and philios, loving, alluding to habitat of some species +
Greek gyrus, circle, and genus Weissia, alluding to resemblance and well-developed, persistent annulus +
H
Greek habros, delicate or splendid, and anthos, flower +
For Ingebrigt Severin Hagen, 1852 – 1917, Norwegian bryologist +
Greek halimos, of salt, and lobos, rounded protuberance, alluding to superficial resemblance of fruit indumentum to salt +
Greek halos, sea, and ragis, grape-berry, alluding to maritime habitat and bunched fruits +
Latin hamatus, hooked, in reference to the hooked central spines, and Cactus, an old genus name +
Latin hamatus, hooked, and caulis, stem, alluding to curved stem apices +
Greek, haplos, simple, and kladion, branchlet, alluding to 1-pinnate branching +
Greek haplos, single, and odontos, tooth, alluding to single peristome +
Greek haploos, simple, and esthes, raiment +
for Roland MacMillan Harper, 1878–1966, southeastern American botanist, and Greek kallos, beautiful, alluding to the attractive flower +
For Edward H. Harriman, 1848–1909, American financier and patron of science +
For William H. Harris, 1860–1920, F.L.S., British botanist and prolific collector of Jamaican plants +
for William H. Harris, 1860–1920, Superintendent of Public Gardens and Plantations of Jamaica +
For Samuel Hart Wright, 1825–1905, collector of the specimens from which the genus was described +
For S. Clinton Hastings of San Francisco, supporter of S. Watson et al. (1876–1880) on California botany +
Greek hecastos, each, and cleios, to shut up, alluding to one floret enclosed in each involucre +
For Ernst Ludwig Heim, 1747–1834, medical doctor in Berlin renowned for establishing sanitary health practices and said to have introduced Alexander von Humboldt to botany +
Generic name Helianthus and Latin - ella, diminutive +
Greek helios, sun, and anthos, flower, alluding to heads +
Greek helios, sun, and chrysos, gold, and helichrysos, Greek name for a local species of Asteraceae +
Greek helios, sun, and - merus, part +
Greek, helleborus, ancient name for this plant +
Greek hemeros, day, and kallos, beauty, alluding to the showy flowers, which bloom and wilt in one day +
Generic name Hemizonia and Latin - ella, diminutive +
Greek hemi -, half, and zona, belt or girdle, alluding to cypselae half enfolded by phyllaries +
Greek henicos, single, alluding to single, unbranched stems arising from creeping primary stems +
For Roger Hennedy, 1809–1877, Scottish phycologist +
for William Herbert, 1778–1847, prominent British botanist and specialist in bulbous plants +
For Louis Antoine Prospere Herissant, 1745 – 1769, French physician, naturalist, and poet +
for Sigismund Friedrich Hermbstädt, 1760–1833, German botanist +
Latin hernia, rupture, and -aria, pertaining to, alluding to use in treatment of hernias +
Greek herpes, snake, and neuron, nerve, alluding to terminally strongly sinuous costa +
For Clarence Luther Herrick, 1858–1903, geologist and botanical collector in New Mexico, president of University of New Mexico +
For Theodor Herzog, 1880–1961, German botanist, and Latin, - ella, diminutive +
Greek hesperos, western, and aloe, a kind of plant +
Greek hesperos, western, and genus name Evax, alluding to first discoveries from western limits of Evax distribution +
Genus Hesperis and Greek anthos, flower, alluding to resemblance of flowers +
Greek hesperos, evening, alluding to time when flowers of some species are most fragrant +
Greek hesperos, western, and kallos, beauty +
Greek hesperos, west, and knide, nettle +
Greek hesperos, western, and linon, flax +
Greek hesperos, evening or western, and mecon, poppy +
Greek heteros -, different, and anthemis, a genus name +
Greek heteros, different, and antheros, anther +
Greek heteros, differing, and kladion, branchlet, alluding to growth form +
Greek heteros, different, and melon, apple, alluding to low stamen number +
Greek heteros, different, and phyllon, leaf, alluding to somewhat different stem and branch leaves +
Greek heteros, different, and pteron, wing, alluding to dorsal wing of samara being thickened on abaxial edge and bent upward, opposite of arrangement in other genera with dorsal-winged samaras +
Greek hetero-, other or different from, and genus Savia +
Greek heteros, different, and thece, container, alluding to dimorphic cypselae +
For Johann Heinrich von Heucher, 1677–1747, Austrian-born medical botanist and professor of medicine at Wittenberg, later Dresden +
Greek hex, six, and alectryon, rooster, alluding to six longitudinal fleshy crests on the floral lip +
Greek hexastylis, with six styles +
Greek hippeus, rider, and astron, star, the allusion obscure +
For Hippocrates, ca. 460–370 BC, Greek physician +
Greek hippos, horse, and mania, fury, alluding to effect of the caustic latex on horses +
Greek hippos, of horse, and phaeos, splendor, probably alluding to ancient use of silvery leaves as horse fodder to supposedly make their coats shine or boost their energy +
For Christian Cajus Lorenz Hirschfeldt, 1742–1792, Austrian botanist/horticulturist +
For William Welles Hollister, 1818–1886, California rancher +
For Arthur Herman Holmgren, 1912–1992, Noel Herman Holmgren, b. 1937, and Patricia Kern Holmgren, b. 1940, American botanists, and Greek anthos, flower +
Greek holo -, whole, complete, and karphos, chaff, alluding to paleate receptacles +
Greek holos, whole, and diskos, disc, alluding to entire floral disc +
Genus Homalia and Greek adelphos, brother, alluding to similarity +
Genus Homalothecium and Latin - ella, diminutive, alluding to resemblance +
Greek homalos, equal, even, and theke, case, alluding to straight, cylindric capsules of some species +
Greek homos, similar, and mallos, wool, thus bending to one side, alluding to leaves slightly and uniformly curved +
For William Jackson Hooker, 1785 – 1865, British botanist and first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew +
Genus Horkelia and Latin - ella, diminutive +
For Frederick Hinsdale Horsford, 1855 – 1923, Vermont farmer and commercial seedsman, and probably also for Eben Norton Horsford, 1818 – 1893, chemist +
For John Thomas Howell, 1903–1994, California botanist +
For Eric Hultén, 1894–1981, Swedish botanist, specialist of the circumpolar flora +
genus Hyacinthus and Greek oides, resembling +
Greek hydor, water, and angeion, diminutive of angos, vessel or container, alluding to shape of mature, dehisced capsule +
Greek hydr-, water, and chari, grace +
Greek hydro, water, and clavis, club-shaped, presumably from shape of pistils +
Greek hygros, wet, and genus Amblystegium +
Greek hygros, wet, and genus Hypnum, alluding to habitat +
Greek hyle, forest, and Cereus, the genus from which this segregate was removed +
Genus Hylocomium and Latin - astrum, incomplete resemblance +
Greek hylokomos, forest inhabitant, alluding to habitat +
Greek hyle, wood, and genus Telephium +
Greek hymên, membrane, and kallos, beauty, in reference to the corona +
Greek hymen, membrane, and pappos, pappus, alluding to membranous pappus scales +
Greek hymen, membrane, and phyllon, leaf +
Greek hymen, membrane, and stylos, pillar, alluding to systylius capsule +
Greek hymen, membrane, and thrix, hair, possibly alluding to scarious-aristate pappus scales +
Genus Hyophila and Greek adelphus, brother +
Greek hyper, above, and eikon, image, alluding to ancient Greek custom of decorating religious figures with Hypericum species to ward off evil spirits +
Greek hypo, beneath, and choiras, pig, alluding to pigs digging for roots +
Greek hypo, below, and lepis, scale, in reference to position of sori under the revolute leaf margin +
Greek hypo, beneath, and pterygion, small wing, alluding to underleaves +
I
Derivation unknown +
Latin imbrex, roof tile, and Greek bryon, moss, alluding to strongly overlapping leaves +
Latin indusium, tunic, and -ella, diminutive, alluding to inrolled hyaline leaf margins +
Greek eiresione, a wreath or staff entwined with strips of wool, alluding to the long woolly hairs often encircling the calyx +
Greek iso -, same, and carphos, small dry body, evidently alluding to uniform receptacular paleae +
Genus Isopterygium and Greek - opsis, resembling +
Greek isos, equal, and pteron, wing, alluding to complanate leaves +
Greek isos, equal, and theke, case, alluding to symmetric capsule +
For Eli Ives, 1779–1861, professor of pediatrics, materia medica, and botany at Yale University +
For Zennoske Iwatsuki, b. 1929, Japanese bryologist, and Latin -ella, diminutive +
J
For Félix Jafuell, 1857–1931, clergyman who collected plants in South America, and Greek bryum, moss +
For Edwin P. James, 1797–1861, American physician and naturalist on the Stephen Harriman Long expeditions of 1819 & 1820 +
For Robert Leslie James, 1897–1977, American botanist and historian, and Greek anthos, flower +
Named for Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), third president of the United States +
for John Thomas Howell, 1903–1994, California botanist and Eriogonum scholar +
for Thomas Drummond +
K
Derivation obscure, perhaps for Anders Kallström, 1733–1812, a contemporary of Scopoli +
For Peter Kalm, 1715–1779, Swedish botanist, pupil of Linnaeus, collector in eastern North America +
Genus Kalmia and Greek opsis, resemblance +
For Baron W. F. von Karvinsky, 1780–1855, botanical collector in Brazil and Mexico +
For William Kerr, d. 1814 collector in the far east, sponsored by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and superintendent of Botanic Garden, Peradinaya, Sri Lanka +
For Nils Conrad Kindberg, 1832 – 1910, Swedish bryologist +
For Christoph Ludwig Koeberlin, 1794–1862, German clergyman and botanist +
Genus Kopsia and Greek -opsis, resemblance +
For Vincenz Franz Kosteletzky, 1801 – 1887, Czech botanist +
For either Johann Georg Heinrich Kramer, 1684–1744, Austrian Army physician and botanist, or his son William Heinrich Kramer, d. 1765, Austrian physician and naturalist, or both +
For Antonio Krapovickas, b. 1921 Argentinian botanist +
for S. P. Krasheninnikova, 1711–1755, academician and professor in Saint Petersburg, author of the first flora of Saint Petersburg +
For Carl Wilhelm Krug, 1833–1898, major collaborator with Urban on the West Indian flora, and Greek dendron, tree +
L
Greek lachne, wool, and anthos, flower, in reference to pubescent flowers +
Greek lachnos, wool, and chaulos, stem, in reference to the long, soft, upwardly pointed hairs on scapes of the type +
For Magnus Lagerstroem, 1696–1759, friend of Linnaeus and supporter of Uppsala University +
Greek lago, hare, and phyllon, leaf, alluding to sericeous leaves of original species +
Genus Laguna, for Andrés de Laguna, 1499 – 1559 Spanish botanist and physician to Pope Julius III, and - aria, similarity +
Latin laguncula, flask or bottle, and aria, pertaining, alluding to fruit shape +
Greek lapsanae, a vegetable mentioned by Dioscorides, perhaps actually Raphanus, with lyrate leaves resembling those of Lapsana +
Lapsana, generic name, and Latin - astrum, indicating inferiority or an incomplete resemblance +
For Juan Antonio Pérez Hernández de Larrea, 1730–1803, Catholic bishop of Valladolid, Spain +
For José Victorino Lastarria Santander, 1817–1888, lawyer and founder of the Liberal Party in Chile +
For J. Cl. M. Mordant de Launay, 1750–1816, lawyer, later librarian at Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris +
For René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laënnec, 1781–1826, French physician, inventor of the stethoscope +
For Melines Conkling Leavenworth, 1796–1862, American physician and botanist who collected in the southeastern United States +
For G. W. Leibnitz, 1646–1716, philosopher, political advisor, mathematician, and scientist +
named for Dr. Edward Frederick Leitner, 1812-1838, German physician, naturalist, and explorer of southern Florida +
Greek lenos, trough, and phyllon, leaf +
Greek lepis, scale, and anthos, flower, referring to small, scalelike flowers +
Greek lepidos, scale, and sparton, Spanish broom (the plant) +
Greek leptos, slender, and arrhen, male, alluding to stamen filaments +
Greek leptos, narrow, and genus Bryum, alluding to leaf shape +
Greek leptos, thin, alluding to fine outline of laminal cells +
Greek leptos, slender, and odontos, tooth, alluding to narrow peristome teeth +
Greek leptos, thin, and hymen, membrane, alluding to endostomial basal membrane +
Greek, leptos, slender, and genus Pterigynandrum y +
Greek leptos, slender or small, and sperma, seed, alluding to form and size +
Genus Leptostomum and Greek -opsis, resemblance +
Greek lepyron, scale, and petalon, petals, alluding to scalelike petals inserted into calyx +
Greek lepyron, rind or husk, and diklis, double-folding, alluding to two-valved capsule +
For Charles Léo Lesquereux, 1806 – 1889, Swiss-American bryologist and paleontol o gist +
For C. F. Lessing, 1809–1862, German-born botanist, his nephew K. F. Lessing, and grandfather G. E. Lessing +
Leucanthemum, a genus name, plus Latin - ella, diminutive +
Greek leuco- , white, and anthemon, flower +
Greek leuc-, white, and Iva, a related genus, perhaps alluding to white indument of leaves +
Greek leukos, white, and bryon, moss +
Greek leucos, white, and krinon, lily +
Greek leucos, white, and lepis, scale, alluding to stem leaves +
Greek leukos, white, and phyllon, leaf +
Greek leucos, white or clear, and spora, seed, alluding to transparency of matured seeds +
Greek limne, marsh, and anthe, flower, alluding to habitat +
Greek limne, pool, and philos, loving, alluding to habitat +
For Sextus Otto Lindberg, 1835 – 1889, Scandinavian br y ologist +
For Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer, 1801–1879, German expatriate, botanist/intellect, settled in Texas +
Greek liparos, fat, greasy, or shining, referring to the almost oily feel and luster of the leaves typical of plants in this genus +
Greek, leipo, to fall, and carpha, chaff, referring to deciduous transparent inner secondary scale of the spikelet in many species +
Latin liquidus, fluid, liquid, and Arabic ambar, amber +
Greek lirion, lily, and dendron, tree +
Greek lithos, stone, and carpos, fruit, referring to the hard fruit wall +
Latin littora, shores, and -ella, small, alluding to small lakeshore habitat +
for Patrick Murray, Baron of Livingstone (d. 1671), whose collections formed the nucleus of the Edinburgh Botanic Garden +
for Edward Lloyd (Lhwyd in Welsh), 1660–1709, curator of the Oxford Museum, who first found Lloydia serotina in the mountains of Wales +
For P. Loefling, 1729–1756, Swedish botanist and explorer +
For Leopold Loeske, 1865 – 1935, German bryologist and journalist, and Greek bryon, moss +
For Leopold Loeske, 1865–1935, German botanist, and Greek hypnum, lichen or, by usage, pleurocarpous moss +
Lomaria, a subgenus of Blechnum (Blechnaceae), plus Greek - opsis, like +
Greek lophos, crest, and phoreus, a bearer, in reference to tufts of hairs in areoles +
For Loran Crittenden Anderson, b. 1936, fervent American enthusiast of Asteraceae, especially Chrysothamnus and related taxa +
For Paul Günter Lorentz, 1835–1881, German bryologist +
For Friedrich Benjamin Lütke (later russified to Count Fyodor Petrovich Litke), 1797 – 1882 Russian sea captain and Arctic explorer +
For Alphonse Luisier, 1872–1957, French bryologist +
For Istrán Lumnitzer, 1750–1806, Hungarian botanist +
possibly from Italian lucciola, to shine, sparkle, or Latin gramen luzulae or luxulae, diminutive of lux, light, because hairs of several species have shiny appearance when covered with dew +
Lycopodium, a genus name, and - ella, diminutive +
Greek lygos, twig or stick, and desme, bundle, alluding to clumped, sticklike stems with reduced leaves +
For John Lyon, 1765–1814, Scottish-born, early American botanist and explorer of southern Appalachians +
For William Scrugham Lyon, 1851 – 1916 botanist, nurseryman, plant collector in California and Philippines, and Greek thamnos, bush or shrub +
Greek lysis, dissolve, and chiton, a tunic, referring to the spathe, which withers soon after flowering +
Greek lysis, dissolve, and mache, strife, alluding to soothing properties +
M
Latin machaera, sword, and anthera, anther, alluding to curved, sword-shaped anther appendages +
for Alexander Macleay, 1767-1848, Scottish botanist, entomologist, and Secretary to the Colony of New South Wales +
Greek makros, large, and aden, gland, probably referring to the prominent viscidium, which is often referred to as a “gland” +
Greek macros, long, and antheros, anther, alluding to long-exserted stamens +
Greek macros, long, and kome, hair, alluding to long hairs on calyptrae of some species +
Greek macros, long, and mitra, cap, alluding to large calyptra +
Greek makros, large, thelys, female, and pteris, fern +
For Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), professor and director of the botanical garden at Montpellier, France +
Latin Maius, May, and Greek anthemon, flower +
Greek malakos, soft, and melon, apple +
Greek malakos, soft, or malache, mallow, and thamnos, shrub, alluding to habit +
Greek malakos, soft, and thrix, hair +
Greek malle, arm-hole, and pherein, to bear, in reference to the seed pockets of the fruits +
Latin name derived from Greek malacho, to soften, alluding to emollient qualities of some species +
Genus Malva and Latin -astrum, incomplete resemblance +
Latin, malva mallow, and viscidus, sticky, alluding to sap +
Latin mamilla, nipple, in reference to shap e of tubercles, which produce “milky” white latex in some species +
Malabar Manil, from Portuguese Manilhas Insulas (Manila, Philippines), and kara, edible fruit +
Anagram of specific epithet salmantica +
For Moses Marshall, 1758–1813, American botanist, nephew of and assistant to Humphrey Marshall +
for Car 1863, physicist at the University of Florence, Italy +
Genus Maurandya and Latin -ella, diminutive, alluding to presence of personate corolla in Maurandella +
Latin Mauros, a native of North Africa, and Greek anthemon, flower +
Greek mazos, breast, alluding to two ridges on abaxial lip of corolla or to nipplelike tubercles at inner throat of corolla in M. pumilus +
For Antoni de Meca-Caçador-Cardona i de Beatrin, 1726–1788, benefactor of Royal College of Surgery of Barcelona +
Greek meio-, fewer, and trichos, hair, alluding to calyptra +
Greek melas, black, and leukos, white, alluding to colors of tree trunk and branches, respectively, in M. leucadendron, the type species +
Greek melam- (combining form of melas before b and p), black, and pyros, wheat, alluding to color of seeds +
Greek melan, black, and Latin, anthera, anther +
Greek melas, black, and anthos, flower, alluding to the black perianth in some species +
Greek melas, black, and stoma, opening, alluding to stained mouth, especially of children, when fruits of some species are eaten +
Greek mene, moon, and sperma, seed +
For Archibald Menzies, 1754–1842, Scottish physician and naturalist with Vancouver Expedition 1790–1795, whobrought the type species from the Northwest Coast +
Latin Mercurius, Roman mythological deity, and -alis, belonging to, alluding to belief that it was discovered by him +
Greek mesembria, midday, and anthemum, blo oming +
Greek mesos, half, and pilos, felt or ball, perhaps alluding to shape of medlar fruit resembling half a ball +
Greek micros, small, and anthemom, flower +
Greek mikros, small, and anthos, flower +
Greek mikros, small, and bryon, moss +
Latin micro-, small, and mitra, headband, alluding to small calyptra +
Greek micros, little, and Monolepis, the genus in which this ta xon is often placed +
Greek micro -, small, and seris, endive or chicory +
Greek mikros, small, and stachys, spike, alluding to inflorescence +
Greek micro- , small, and genus Thlaspi +
For Mathias Mielichhofer, 1772 – 1847, Austrian collector of generitype specimen +
Greek mimos, imitator, and anthe, flower, alluding to Mimulus-like corolla +
Latin mimulus, diminutive of mimus, comic or mimic actor, alluding to monkey-faced corolla of some species +
for P. H. G. Moehring, 1710–1791, Danzig naturalist +
Latin mordicus, biting, alluding to sculptured seed surfaces and margins, appearing as though bitten +
For Josephus Monninus (José Moñino y Redondo), eighteenth-century Spanish Count of Florida-Blanca, administrator, and patron of botany +
Greek monos, one, and ptilon, soft feather, alluding to pappus of M. bellidiforme, a solitary plumose bristle +
Greek monos, one, and tropos, turn or direction, alluding to flowers all turned in one direction on inflorescence axis +
opsis, resemblance +
For Charles A. Mosier, 1871–1936, first superintendent of Royal Palm State Park, Florida’s first state park (now Everglades National Park) +
for H. G. Muehlenbeck, 1798–1845, Swiss physician +
For P. A. Munz, 1892–1974, American botanist, and Greek thamnos, shrub +
Greek myo, to shut, and poros, hole, alluding to transparent spots on leaves closed with pellucid substance +
Greek mus, mouse, and oura, tail, from shape and texture of the fruiting head of M. minimus. +
Genus Myrcia and Greek anthos, flower, alluding to resemblance +
Greek myrios, countless, and phyllon, leaf, alluding to capillary segments of lower and/or submersed leaves +
Greek mys, mouse, oura, tail, and clados, branch, alluding to resemblance +
N
from Greek Narkissos, mythological youth who fell in love with his own reflection and changed into a flower +
Greek Narthex, rod, alluding to appearance of stems +
Latin nasus, nose, and tortus, distortion, alluding to pungency of plants +
Genus Neckera and Greek -opsis, resemblance +
For Patrick Neill, 1776 – 1851 Scottish printer, naturalist, and secretary of the Caledonian Horticultural Society +
Greek nema, thread, and Greek kaulos, stem +
Greek nema, thread, and stylos, pillar or rod, alluding to the style with threadlike arms +
Greek neo-, new, gaea, earth or world, and rhinum, nose, alluding to being native to the New World +
For the Holmgren family: Arthur Hermann Holmgren, 1912–1992, Noel Herman Holmgren, b. 1937, and Patricia Kern Holmgren, b. 1940 +
Greek neos, new, and the genus name Lloydia, for Francis Ernest Lloyd, 1868–1947, Canadian botanist +
For John Macoun, 1831 – 1920 Canadian botanist and explorer +
For Guy L. Nesom, b. 1945, American botanist, avid researcher of Asteraceae +
Greek nephros, kidney, and lepis, scale, in reference to shape of the indusia +
Greek neros, flowing, and genus Syrenia, presumably alluding to resemblance +
For Jean Nicholas Nicollet, 1786–1843, “…who spent several years in exploring the country watered by the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and who was employed by the United States Government in a survey of the region….” Quoted from protologue. +
Greek nipha, snow, and trichos, hair, alluding to hoary appearance owing to hyaline hair-pointed leaves +
Japanese Nippon, name of Japan, and Greek anthemon, flower +
Greek nitron, native soda, and philios, loving, for the habitat preference of the plants +