Property:Etymology

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A
Presumably Arabic habb-el-misk, musk seed, alluding to scented seeds  +
Latin name of a European fir  +
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 abros, de licate or graceful  +
probably Arabic abu, father of, and Persian tula or tulha, mallow  +
Greek akaina, thorn, alluding to barbed spines arising from wall of hypanthium  +
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 a-, without, and kaulos, stalk or stem, alluding to stemless habit  +
for Greek god Achilles, who is supposed to have used the plants to treat his wounds  +
Greek Achlus, a god of night  +
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, cleis, thing that closes, and anthos, flower  +, alluding to lack of involucre  +
From a Singhalese name for a plant now known as Blainvillea acmella (Linnaeus) Philipson  +
Greek a-, without, coelo, hollow, and raphe, in reference to shape of the seed  +
according to Pliny, the name "aconite" is taken from the ancient Black Sea port Aconis  +
Greek acon, whetstone, and gone, seed, perhaps alluding to rough seeds  +
Latin form of Greek akoron, presumably an ancient plant name  +
For Mrs. A’Court, a British amateur botanist  +
Greek akron, summit, and kome, hairs of the head, in reference to the high crown of leaves  +, akrokomos, with leaves at the top, said especially of palms  +
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, aktea, ancient name for the elder, probably for leaf similarity  +
Greek aktis, ray, and stachys, spike, referring to the rays of the fertile leaves  +
Greek a-, not, and delos, evident, alluding to small, obscure flowers  +
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 adiantos, unwetted, for the glabrous leaves, which shed raindrops  +
For John Adlum, 1759-1836, a horticulturist born in York, Pa., died in Georgetown, D.C.  +
For Adolphe Brongniart, 1801–1876, French botanist and student of Rhamnaceae  +
Greek mythology: sprouted from blood of Adonis, lover of Aphrodite, based on the blood red flowers  +
Dioscoridean name for A. arboreum  +
Greek aga-, very or much, and genus Linum, alluding to resemblance of stems and leaves  +
Greek mythological daughter of Clisthenes, alluding to beauty of flowers  +
Greek agave, noble or admirable  +
A mythi-cal hermaphrodite monster, in reference to the original inclusion in Menispermaceae, where it was the only genus with bisexual flowers  +
Generic name Ageratum and Latin - ina, diminutive  +
Greek a, not, and geras, old age, apparently alluding to long-lasting nature of flowers  +
Possibly Greek agnostos, unknown, and rhiza, root, alluding to the initially unknown roots  +, in protologue of basionym of type species, Greene stated, “Root unknown.”  +
Greek agos, leader, and seris, chicory  +, allusion unclear  +
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  +
Japanese akebi, name for Akebia quinata  +
Greek alkea, a kind of mallow  +
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  +
ancient Greek name, adopted by Linnaeus from Dioscorides  +
for Robert Allen Rolfe, English botanist, 1855–1921  +
Genus Allium, garlic or onion, and Latin –aria, connection, alluding to odor of crushed plant  +
For C. Allioni, 1725–1804, Italian botanist  +
Latin, classical name for garlic  +
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  +
Latin alnus, alder  +
Arabic alloeh, a name for these or similar plants  +
Genus Aloë and Latin -ina, resembling, alluding to fleshy leaves  +
Greek a, not, and lophos, crest, referring to the absence of style crests  +
for Italian botanist Prosper Alpinus (1553–1617)  +
Anagram of generic name Lasia (now Forsstroemia), alluding to similarity  +
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 Althaea, wife of King Oeneus of Aetolia or Calydon  +
For Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras, ca. 1485 – 1541, member of Cortez’s expedition to Mexico  +
Greek, a-, not or without, and lyssa, rabies or madness  +, name used for plants reputed in ancient times as remedy for hydrophobia, cure for madness, and calmative for anger  +
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 amblys, blunt, obtuse, and odon, tooth, alluding to peristome  +
Greek ambly, blunt, and lepis, scale  +
Greek ambly -, blunt, and pappos, pappus  +
Greek amblys, blunt, and stege, roof, alluding to obtuse operculum  +
Greek ambrosia, “food of the gods,” allusion unclear  +
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  +
For Paul Ammann, 1634–1691, Professor of Botany at Leipzig  +
for Pierre-Joseph Amoreux, 1741 – 1824, French physician and naturalist  +
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 ana- , above, and koleos, sheath, alluding to leaf base not sheathing  +
Greek anagalao, to laugh, alluding to fabled power to alleviate sadness  +
An ancient name or, perhaps, derived from generic name Gnaphalium  +
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  +
For J. G. R. Andreae, 1724–1793, apothecary of Hanover, Germany  +
Genus Andreaea and Greek bryon, moss, alluding to anomalous resemblance  +
For Greek mythological daughter of Cepheus and Cassiope, married to Perseus  +
Greek, andros, male, and sakos, shield, alluding to anther shape  +
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  +
etymology not clear: probably Greek anemos, wind  +, possibly from Naaman, Se for Adonis, whose blood, according to myth, produced Anemone coronaria  +
Greek anemone, the windflower, and opsis, appearance  +
Latin rendering of Venezuelan common name angelon  +
Greek anisos, unequal or dissimilar, and karpos, fruit, alluding to contrasting ray (fertile) and disc (sterile) ovaries in type species  +
Greek anisos, unequal, and coma, hair, alluding to pappus  +
native Hispaniolan anon or hanon, given to A. muricata  +
Ceylonese vernacular name for a species of Abutilon  +
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  +
Greek, anomalos, abnormal, and odon, tooth, alluding to reduced peristome  +
for Anreder, about whom nothing else is known  +
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 anthemon, flower  +
etymology uncertain  +, perhaps Greek anti- , against, and gony, knee, alluding to angled stems, or Greek anti- , in place of, and genus Polygonum, alluding to affinity  +
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  +
For Apache Indians  +
Greek aphanes, unseen, invisible, alluding to inconspicuous nature of plants and/or flowers  +
Greek aphanes, obscure or inconspicuous  +
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, and plectron, spur  +
Greek haplo- , single, and odon, tooth, alluding to single layer of peristome teeth  +
Greek a- , without, podos, foot, and anthera, anther, alluding to sessile anthers  +
Greek, from aquatic habitat  +
Greek a- , not, and pt enos, winged, in reference to the lack of wings on the capsules  +
Greek a, without, and pteron, wing  +
derivation disputed  +, possibly Greek aqua, water, and legere, to draw or collect, because of the wet habitat of some species or quantity of liquid nectar borne in spurs, or Latin aquila, eagle, because of similarity in shape of curved spurs of some European species to an eagle's talons  +
Genus Arabis and Greek opsis, resembling  +
Latin Arabia  +
Greek arachnion, spider's web, and -odes, having the form or nature of  +, it has been suggested that Blume saw fungal hyphae or spider webs on his original material  +
Classical Latin name for European strawberry tree, A. unedo Linnaeus  +
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 arktion, from arktos, bear, perhaps alluding to rough involucre  +
Greek arktos, bear, alluding to an arctic or northern distribution  +
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 arktous, northern, alluding to distribution  +
Greek ardis, point of arrow or spear, alluding to anthers and/or corolla lobes  +
Latin arena, sand, a common habitat  +
Greek Arethusa, mythical river nymph  +
a poppylike herb mentioned by Pliny  +
Greek argyros, silver, and anthemon, flower  +, allusion unclear  +
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  +
Latin aridus, dry, alluding to xeric habitat typical of members  +
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  +
Origin obscure  +
Celtic ar mor, at seaside, alluding to habitat  +
Ancient Greek name for horseradish, or perhaps Celtic ar, near, mor, sea, and rich, against, alluding to habitat  +
Ancient Latin or Greek plant name  +
Greek arnos, lamb, and glossum, tongue  +, ancient name for some species of Plantago  +
Greek arnos, sheep, and seris, a kind of endive  +, allusion unclear  +
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 Artemis, goddess of the hunt and namesake of Artemisia, Queen of Anatolia  +
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  +
Asa, honoring American botanist Asa Gray, 1810–1888, and Greek anthos, flower  +
Ancient Greek asaron, name of an unknown plant  +
Greek, a-, not or without, and schisma, split, alluding to indehiscent capsule  +
Greek a, absence, and semion, sign or flag, alluding to distinctness from Polygala in absence of vexillum  +
American Indian assimin through French asiminier  +
Greek asparasso, to rip, alluding to the spiny leaves of some species  +
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 aspidotes, shield-bearer, for the shieldlike false indusia  +
Greek splen, spleen  +, thought by Dioscorides to be useful for treating spleen diseases  +
Latin aster, star, alluding to heads as seen from above  +
Greek a-, without, and stilbo, sheen, alluding to foliage otherwise resembling that of Aruncus  +
For Greek mythological Astraea (star maiden), daughter of Zeus and Themis  +
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 athyros, doorless  +, the sporangia only tardily push back the outer edge of the indusium  +
Greek a- , without, and thysanos, fringe, alluding to fruit margin  +
Greek a- , without, trichos, hair, and seris, chicory, alluding to lack of pappus  +
Greek a-, without, and trichos, hair, alluding to calyptra  +
ancient Latin name  +
For Claude Aubriet, 1663–1743, French artist  +
Latinized Japanese name aokiba  +
Greek aulax, furrow, and mnion, moss, alluding to sulcate capsules  +
Latin aureolus, golden, and -arius, possession, alluding to corolla  +
Latin aurum, gold, and -inia, colored, alluding to flower  +
Greek axyros (a, not, and xyrios, razor), blunt, not cutting, in reference to the mild taste  +
For Louis de Noailles, 1713 – 1793, first Duc d’Ayen  +
Greek azo, to dry, and ollyo, to kill, alluding to death from drought  +
B
For Roman god Bacchus, allusion obscure, perhaps used originally for different plant  +
Aboriginal name in French Guiana  +
For J. F. Bahí, 1775–1841, professor of botany at Barcelona  +
Generic name Bahia and Greek - opsis, resembling  +
For Jacob Whitman Bailey, 1811–1857, researcher of diatomaceous algae at the U.S. Military Academy  +
For William Baldwin, 1779–1819, American botanist  +
Greek balsamon, a fragrant gum, and rhiza, root  +, alluding to resiniferous rootstocks  +
For Saint Barbara, fourth-century, or perhaps alluding to being the only plants available for food on Saint Barbara’s Day (4 December)  +
Latin barba, beard, and - ella, diminutive, alluding to pendent secondary stems  +
Latin barba, beard, and -ula, diminutive, alluding to peristome  +
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  +
For John Bartram, 1699 – 1777, Pennsylvania botanist, horticulturist, and explorer  +
Genus Bartramia and Greek -opsis, resembling  +
For Johann Bartsch, 1709–1738, German physician  +
Greek basis, base, and phyllon, leaf, referring to the single basal leaf  +
For F. Bassi, 1710–1774, Italian naturalist  +
For Toussaint Bastard, 1784 – 1846, French botanist  +
For David M. Bates, b. 1935 American botanist, and Latin malva, mallow  +
probably from Greek via Latin for another coastal plant, or possibly Greek batos, bramble  +
For Michael S. Bebb, 1833–1895, American botanist and willow specialist  +
For Michel Bégon, 1638 – 1710 French governor of Haiti and patron of botany  +
For José Béjar, eighteenth-century professor of surgery at Cádiz, Spain  +
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  +
Latin bellus, pretty  +
Greek (Latinized) belos, arrow, and glotta, tongue, possibly alluding to sagittate lip  +
For San Benito County, California, alluding to distribution  +
For Gilbert Thereon Benson, 1896–1928, Stanford University botanist  +
Mediaeval Latin barbaris  +
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 Peter J. Bergius, 1730–1790, Swedish botanist and physician, student of Linnaeus  +
For Jean Louis Berlandier, 1805–1851, Belgian explorer in North America  +
Probably for Bernard de Jussieu, 1699–1777, French botanist  +
For Carlo Giuseppe Bertero, 1789–1831, Italian physician and botanist who settled in Chile  +
For George Newton Best, 1846 – 1926 American bryologist  +
derivation uncertain, possibly from Celtic name for red root  +
Latin betula, birch  +
Latin bis, two, and dens, tooth, alluding to 2-awned pappi of the original species  +
For Jacob Bigelow, 1787–1879, Massachusetts medical and botanical scholar  +
For Billie Lee Turner, b. 1925, American botanist  +
For Gottleib Wilhelm T. G. Bischoff, 1797–1854, German botanist  +
Latin, bi -, twice, and tortus, twisted, alluding to the rhizomes of some species  +
Greek blechnon, an ancient name for ferns in general  +
Greek blennos, mucus, and sperma, seed, alluding to cypselae becoming mucilaginous when wetted  +
Greek blepharis, eyelash, and pappos, pappus, alluding to ciliate pappus scales  +
Greek blepharis, eyelash, and zona, girdle or ring  +, perhaps alluding to rings of ciliate pappus scales, or from generic names Blepharipappus and Hemizonia, alluding to resemblance  +
For Luis Blet, a Catalonian apothecary of the eighteenth century who accompanied Ruiz and Pavón on their New World explorations  +
For J. J. Blind, pastor at Münster, 1834–1848  +
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  +
Greek blyxo, to gush forth, spout out, bubble up  +
For Tyge Wittrock Böcher, 1909–1983, Danish cytogeneticist who worked on subarctic flowering plants  +
for G. R. Böhmer, German botanist  +
for Hermann Boerhaave, 1668–1738, physician and botanist of Leiden  +
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 James Bolton, fl. 1750s–1799, English botanist, artist  +
For Franco Andrea Bonelli, 1784–1830, Italian zoologist  +
For Jacobus Bontius, 1592–1631, Dutch physician and botanist in Java  +
For Ole Borch (Olaus Borrichius), 1626–1690, Danish botanist  +
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 William Brass, an eighteenth-century British botanical illustrator and collector  +
Latin name for cabbage  +
For Alexander Carl Heinrich Braun, 1805 – 1877, Director of the Berlin Botanic Garden  +
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 Jeremiah Bernard Brinton, 1835–1894, of Philadelphia  +
for James Brodie, 1744–1824, Scottish cryptogamic botanist  +
Greek brosimos, edible  +
For Viktor Ferdinand Brotherus, 1849–1929, Finnish bryologist  +
For Viktor Ferdinand Brotherus, 1849 – 1929, Finnish bryologist  +
for Pierre Marie Auguste Broussonet (1761-1807), French biologist at Montpellier  +
For Philipp Bruch, 1781–1847, German pharmacist and bryologist  +
for Morten Thrane Brunnich, 1737–1827, eighteenth-century Danish naturalist  +
For Nils Bryhn, 1854 – 1916, Norwegian bryologist  +
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  +
Greek bryon, moss  +
For Andreas Elias von Büchner, 1701–1769, physician  +
For William Russel Buck, b. 1950, American bryologist, and Latin - ella, diminutive  +
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  +
For Samuel Botsford Buckley, 1809–1884, American botanist  +
For Adam Buddle, 1660–1715, English botanist, vicar of Farmbridge  +
Greek bolbos, bulb, and phyllon, leaf, referring to its leafy pseudobulb  +
Latin bulbus, bulb, and stylus, style  +
Greek and Latin bunias, a kind of common mustard or turnip  +
For Johannes Burman, 1707–1779, Dutch botanist  +
Greek butomos/butomon, marsh plant  +, from Greek bous, cow, and temno, to cut  +, referring to sharp leaves, known or believed to cut mouths of cattle  +
For J. C. Buxbaum, 1693–1730, its discoverer  +
<i>buxus</i>  +, from Greek <i>pyxos</i> (or <i>puxos</i>), name for box tree, of uncertain origin but supposedly from <i>pyknos</i>, dense, solid, alluding to excellent wood  +
Greek byrsa, leather, alluding to use of bark of some species in tanning  +, meaning of suffix obscure  +
C
probably an aboriginal name  +
Genus name Cacalia and Greek - opsis, like  +
Arabic name qaqulleh  +
For J. L. Calandrini, 1703–1758, Swiss botanist  +
Latin calends, first day of the month, and -ula, tendency  +, perhaps meaning “through the months” and alluding to ± year-round flowering  +
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  +
a plant name used by Pliny, perhaps from Greek kallos, beauty  +
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  +
Derivation uncertain  +, possibly Greek kallos, beautiful, and rhoias, corn poppy, alluding to resemblance  +
Greek kallos, beauty, referring to the attractive leaves  +
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 kallyno, to brush, sweep, or cleanse, alluding to use as brooms  +
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 name for some yellow-flowered plants  +
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 kalypso, a figure in Homer’s Odyssey  +
Greek kalypto, covered or hidden, and karpos, fruit  +
Greek kalyptra, cap or cover, and anthos, flower, alluding to calyx covering stamens in flower bud  +
Shoshone name camas or quamash  +
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 campylos, curved, alluding to reflexed leaves  +
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  +
for William M. Canby, 1831-1904, Delaware botanist  +
ella, diminutive, because of the tightly rolled bark when dried  +
Greek kanna, reedlike plant  +
Greek kannabis, hemp, said to come from Arabic kinnab or Persian kannab  +
Spanish name in Mexico  +
For Natalis (Noël) Caperon or Capperon, d. 1572, apothecary of Orleans  +
Latin capri, goat, and -arius, pertaining to, alluding to consumption by goats  +
Latin capsa, box or case, alluding to fruit resembling medieval wallet or purse  +
Greek kardamon, name for a cress  +
Greek kardio, heart, and nema, thread, alluding to the obcordate anthers and slender filaments  +
From ancient name of thistlelike plant  +
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 Charles V, 1500–1558, Holy Roman Emperor  +
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  +
For Carson Desert of Nevada  +
Arabic qartam, safflower  +
Greek káryon, nut, kernel  +
Greek caryon, nut  +
For the Cascade Mountains of western North America  +
Greek mythological Cassiope, wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda  +
Greek kasytas, name for Cuscuta  +
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  +
Derivation unknown  +, perhaps Latin causa, reason, and onus, necessity, alluding to segregation from Cissus  +
Derivation uncertain, perhaps from Caiapó, river or native tribe of Amazonian Brazil  +
Greek keanothus, name used by Dioscorides for some spiny plant  +
Greek kelastros, ancient name for holly, Ilex aquifolium  +
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, ceras, horn, alluding to shape of capsule  +
Greek keration, little horn, alluding to style branches  +
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  +
For Pedro Cevallos, 1760–1840, Spanish statesman and diplomat  +
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  +
Derivation uncertain  +, or kamelaukion, headdress of medieval Popes, alluding to form of calyptra  +, possibly Greek chamai, dwarf, and lauchis, poplar, alluding to flower  +
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 cheir, hand, and glossa, tongue  +, in reference to the palmately lobed trophophores and the linear sporophores  +
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  +
For Chen Pan Chieh, 1907–1970, Chinese bryologist  +
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 -, separate, and Iva, a related genus  +, allusion recondite, perhaps “separate from Iva ” or to “scattered” arrangement of heads  +
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 - ome, having the condition of  +, alluding to predominantly yellow-gold heads and corymbs  +
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  +
Ancient Arabic name  +
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  +
Greek kirsion, thistle  +
Greek kissos, ivy  +
generic name Cistus (rockrose) and Greek anthos, flower, in reference to similarity of the flowers  +
Ancient Greek name for plants of the genus  +
Generic name Citrus and Latin - ellus, diminutive, alluding to supposed resemblance of fruits  +
Derivation not given  +, possibly Greek klados, branch, and anthos, flower, alluding to branching of stems at bases of sessile heads in original species  +
Greek clados, branch, referring to the highly branched inflorescences  +
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.  +
For Captain William Clark, 1770–1838, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition  +
Greek klasma, fragment, and odon, tooth, alluding to irregularly bifid endostome  +
for John Clayton, 1686–1773, physician and plant collector in Virginia  +
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  +
Greek clema, plant shoot, ancient name of a vine  +
Origin obscure, perhaps from Greek kleos, glory, or after Kleo, Greek muse of history, first used by Priscian, fourteenth-century medical writer  +
Generic name Cleome, and Latin -ella, dimunitive  +
Genus Cleome and serrata, serrate, alluding to leaflet margins  +
Greek klethra, alder, alluding to resemblance of leaves of certain species  +
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  +
for De Witt Clinton (1769–1828), statesman and several-times governor of New York  +
For Charles l’Écluse, 1525 – 1609, Flemish botanist  +
Greek cnide, nettle, and skolos, thorn, alluding to stinging hairs  +
Latin coccineus, scarlet, alluding to mature fruit of C. grandis  +
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  +
diminutive of Latin coccum, berry  +
Latin cochlear, spoon, alluding to leaf shape of some species  +
derivation of name uncertain  +
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  +
For Zaccheus Collins, 1764–1831, Philadelphia botanist  +
classical Greek name derived from an old Middle Eastern name colcas or culcas  +
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 kome, hair, and andros, male, alluding to petal hairs that attach to anthers  +
Greek komaros, arbutus, and staphyle, cluster of grapes, alluding to resemblance of fruit clusters to those of Arbutus unedo  +
Greek komaros, strawberry-tree (Arbutus unedo Linnaeus), alluding to similarity of fruit  +
Latin, derived from a name applied by Pliny the Elder to a climbing plant of uncertain identity  +
for the two Dutch botanists Jan and Kaspar Commelijn, because of the two showy petals  +
Greek kommi, gum, and carpos, fruit, in reference to gummy-glandular fruit  +
for Henry Compton, amateur horticulturist and Bishop of London  +
For Henry Shoemaker Conard, 1874–1971, bryologist of Grinnell College, Iowa  +
For Antonio Condal, 1745–1804, Spanish physician who accompanied Peter Loefling on a journey up the Orinoco River  +
Greek konikos, cone-shaped, in reference to the capsule  +
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 Michelangelo Console, 1812–1897, of Palermo Botanic Garden, Italy  +
Latin consolidatus, to become solid or firm, from reputed ability to heal wounds  +
For Lincoln Constance, 1909–2001, Californian botanist  +
Latin convallis, valley  +
Ancient name for fleabane  +, perhaps from Greek konops, flea, or konis, dust, alluding to powdered dry plant being used to repel insects  +
Greek, kopto, to cut, referring to dissected leaves  +
Greek korallion, coral, and rhiza, root, referring to coral-like appearance of branching, underground rhizome  +
Greek kore, eye pupil, and koreo, to purge or clear, alluding to use of leaves  +
Greek kordyle, club, and anthos, flower, alluding to somewhat clavate corolla  +
Greek, korema, broom, alluding to growth form  +
Greek koreos, bug, and karpos, fruit, alluding to pectinately winged cypselae of original species  +
Greek korios, bedbug, and -opsis, resembling, alluding to cypselae of original species  +
Greek korethron, broom, and gyne, female, alluding to style-branch appendages  +
Greek coris, bug, and spermum, seed  +
Latin cornu, horn, alluding to the hard wood  +
Latin corrigia, shoelace, perhaps alluding to the slender stems  +
Greek korydallis, crested lark  +
Latin corylus, hazel, from Greek korus, helmet, for shape and hardness of nut shells  +
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  +
Greek kosmos, harmoniously ordered universe, or kosmo, ornament  +
Possibly from pre-Linnaean generic name used as epithet in Anthemis cota Linnaeus  +
Latin cotoneum, quince, and - aster, incomplete resemblance, alluding to similarity of leaves in some species  +
Based on an anagram of Scott  +, for George Francis Scott Elliot, 1862–1934, Scottish botanist  +
Greek kotule, small cup  +
Greek kotyledon, a cup-shaped hollow, alluding to leaf form of a plant now placed in Umbilicus  +
Greek krambe, cabbage  +
Greek kranos, helmet, for helmetlike appearance of lip  +
ula, diminutive, alluding to leaves  +
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 krinon, a lily  +
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  +
For Hardy B. Croom, 1797–1837, the discoverer  +
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 kroton, tick, alluding to resemblance of seeds  +
For H. A. Crum, 1922–2002, American bryologist  +
Pre-Linnaean generic name of unknown derivation  +
Greek kryphos, concealment, alluding to immersed sporophytes  +
Greek cryptos, hidden, and gramme, line, referring to the ± marginal soral bands hidden by revolute margins  +
Greek ktenos, comb, and -idium, diminutive, alluding to branching pattern  +
Greek kteis, comb  +
Greek ktenos, comb, and lepis, scale, apparently alluding to stiffly spreading cilia on margins of stipules  +
Latin name for cucumber  +
Latin cuniculus, rabbit, and tinus, shrub, thus rabbit brush, commonly used name for species of Chrysothamnus in the broad sense  +
Greek kyphos, humped, alluding to protruding base of floral tube  +
Latin name of C. sempervirens  +
the name in some East Indian language  +
For William C. Cusick, 1842–1922, Oregon plant collector  +
Origin uncertain  +, probably Greek cyanos, blue, and anthyllion, little flower, alluding to corollas  +
Greek cyclo -, circular, and Latin achenium, achene  +, allusion uncertain, perhaps to the ring of cypselae in each fruiting head  +
Greek kyklos, circle, and antheros, blooming, alluding to single, ringlike stamen  +
Greek kyklos, circle, and diktyon, net, alluding to large laminal cells  +
Greek cyclos, ring, circle, and loma, border  +
Greek cyclo, circular, and pogon, beard, perhaps in reference to pubescent bases of sepals of the type species  +
Greek Kydonia, alluding to nativity in Kydon, ancient city-state in Crete  +
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 kynara, artichoke  +
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 kupeiros, name for Eurasian Cyperus longus Linnaeus  +
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 cyrtoma, arch, for the arched veins  +
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  +
For Rev. John Dalton, 1764 – 1843, British botanist and bryologist  +
Greek, ancient name  +
Greek, laurel  +
For William Darlington, 1782–1863, Philadelphia botanist  +
For Karl Darmer, 1843–1918, German botanist and horticulturist  +
Greek dasys, hairy, and phoros, bearing, alluding to villous hypanthium  +
Greek dasys, hairy, and stoma, mouth, alluding to lanate throat of corolla  +
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  +
Latin decumae, tenths, and -aria, possessing, alluding to sometimes 10-merous flowers  +
for Mary Caroline DeDecker, 1909–2000, noted California conservationist  +
For Charles Deering, frequent sponsor of J. K. Small in his botanical explorations  +
No etymology stated in protologue  +, meaning uncertain  +
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 dios, divine, and anthos, flower, alluding to beauty or fragrance  +
Greek dia-, composed, and pente, five, alluding to sepal, petal, and stamen numbers  +
Greek diapero, to pass through, alluding to pseudo-polytomous branching pattern (“proliferous inflorescence”) of type species  +
Greek dis, twice, and kentron, spur  +
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 elyma, veil, alluding to large dimidate or cucullate calyptra  +
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 di -, two, kranos, skull or helmet, and karpos, fruit  +, probably alluding to the “two-horned” cypselae  +
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 dicranon, pitchfork, alluding to peristome teeth  +
Derivation uncertain  +, Greek dis, twice, and diploos, double, possibly alluding to 2 stamens in 4-merous floral tube, or to 2-stamened Didiplis, segregated from 6-stamened Peplis  +
Greek didymos, double or twin, and odon, tooth, alluding to paired peristome teeth  +
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  +
Greek dimeres, in 2 parts or with 2 members, allusion unclear  +
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  +
for Dioscorides, ca. 40–90, Greek physician, author of De Materia Medica  +
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 diplazein, double, or di, two, and plasion, oblong, referring to a double sorus  +
Greek diplo- , double, and taxis, arrangement, alluding to number of seed rows in each locule of fruit  +
Greek mythological Dirce, wife of Lycus who was transformed by Dionysus into a fountain  +
Greek di-, two, and skielos, legs, alluding to peristome teeth perforated proximally  +
Greek distichos, in two rows, alluding to leaves  +
Greek di- , two or double, and thyreos, shield, alluding to spectacle-shaped fruits  +
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 John Donnell Smith, 1829 – 1928, American taxonomist  +
For James Donald Richards, 1920 – 1980, American bryologist  +
Hindi do, two, and patra, leaves, alluding to opposite leaf arrangement  +
Arabic name doronigi  +
for Theodor Dorsten (d. 1539), German herbalist and professor of medicine at Marburg  +
For David Douglas, 1798–1834, Scottish botanist and collector in northwestern North America  +
Greek drabe, acrid, for taste of mustard plant  +
Greek drepane, sickle, and clados, branch, alluding to curvature of branch leaves  +
Greek drosos, dew, and anthos, flower, in reference to the glistening papillae  +
Greek droseros, dewy, alluding to glistening glandular trichomes on leaves  +
For Thomas Drummond, 1780 – 1835, Scottish botanist who collected extensively on two expeditions to North America  +
Greek Dryas, name for oak nymphs  +
Greek drymos, forest, alluding to habitat of at least one species  +
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  +
Probably from Greek drypa, dried olive or drupe, alluding to fruit  +
For Antoine Nicolas Duchesne, 1747–1827 French botanist and monographer of Fragaria  +
For William Russel Dudley, 1849–1911, American botanist  +
Latin dulichium, a kind of sedge  +
Generic name Dyssodia and Greek - opsis, resembling  +
Greek dysphanis, obscure, apparently alluding to inconspicuous flowers  +
Greek dysodia, a bad odor  +
E
For Alice Eastwood, 1859–1953, western American botanist  +
For Daniel Cady Eaton, 1834–1885, American botanist  +
Greek ekballein, to throw or cast out, alluding to seed discharge  +
Greek ekkremes, hanging, and -idium, diminutive, alluding to pendulous capsule  +
For Pedro Gregorio Echeandía, 1746–1817, Spanish botanist in Zaragosa  +
For Atanasio Echevería y Godoy, fl. 1787–1803, Mexican botanical artist  +
Latin, echinus, sea urchin, alluding to spiny tips of receptacular paleae  +
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  +
Greek echinos, hedgehog, spiny, and ops, face, appearance, alluding to spiny heads  +
Greek ekleipsis, a failing, perhaps alluding to minute or wanting pappus  +
For Michael Pakenham Edgeworth, 1812–1881 Irish botanist and British civil servant in Bengal  +
Latin egeri, a nymph, in reference to aquatic habitat  +
Greek aiglitis, splendor or glitter, perhaps alluding to heads  +
for Johann A. F. Eichhorn, 1779–1856, Prussian statesman  +
Ancient name used by Theophrastus for a Salix taxon  +, derivation uncertain, probably Greek elaia, olive tree, and agnos, chaste tree, alluding to resemblance, or helodes, marsh, and hagnos, pure or sacred, alluding to habitat and fertility ritual of Thesmophoria  +
Greek elaia, olive, in reference to the oily fruits  +
Greek name for a plant with firlike leaves  +
Greek heleios, dwelling in a marsh, and charis, grace  +
Greek elephantos, elephant, and pous, foot  +, probably alluding to rosettes of basal leaves in original species  +
For Stephen Elliott, 1771–1830, American botanist and banker  +
For Adolph Daniel Edward Elmer, 1870–1942, collector and botanist in western North America  +
Greek helodes, marshy  +
Greek helos, marsh or marsh-meadow, and Latin -ium, diminutive, alluding to habitat  +
Greek eleutheros, free, and plectron, spur, referring to free spur of sepal  +
Latin, ex, and Rumex, alluding to segregation from that genus  +
Presumably for someone named Emile or Emilie  +, the author mentioned no one  +
For William Hemsley Emory, 1811–1877, commander of Texas-Mexico boundary survey  +
Greek en-, in, and petros, rock, alluding to habitat  +
Greek en, in, and kalyptos, cover or veil or lid, alluding to the calyptra  +
For Christoph Entzelt (Christophorus Enzelius), 1517–1583, German naturalist  +
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  +
fsql.getString(4)  +
Greek ephemeros, of short duration  +
Greek epi -, on, and dendron, tree, alluding to the epiphytic habit  +
Greek epi-, upon, and Latin fagus, beech, alluding to host plant  +
Greek epi-, upon, and gaia, earth, alluding to creeping habit  +
Greek epi, on, lobos, pod or capsule, and iov (ion), violet, alluding to violet flower at apex of fruit  +
Ancient Greek name used by Theophrastus for plant used to curdle milk  +
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  +
Greek er, spring, and anthos, flower  +
A name mentioned by Dioscorides, presumably for a plant now referable to Senecio or a related genus  +
Greek eremia, desert, and alkea, mallow, alluding to habitat  +
Greek eremos, desert, and krinon, lily  +
Greek eremo- , solitary or deserted, and gone, seed or offspring, allusion uncertain  +
Greek eremia, desert, and thera from genus Oenothera, probably alluding to habitat and likeness  +
Greek ereiko, to break, alluding to brittle stems  +
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  +
Greek erpo, creeping, alluding to growth habit  +
Latin uro, burn, alluding to the burning taste of seeds  +
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-, good or well, and botrys, bunch, alluding to capsules in tight raceme  +
Greek eu, well, and kalyptos, covered, alluding to deciduous calyptra covering stamens in flower bud  +
Greek eu -, good or original, and kephalotos, with a head  +, alluding “to the elegant qualities of the calyx”—T. Nuttall 1840  +
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- , well, and kleio, shut, alluding to indehiscent fruits  +
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  +
For François-Eugène, Prince of Savoy, 1663–1736, Austrian General  +
Greek eu, good or well, and lobos, capsule, alluding to long, linear pods  +
Greek eu, well, and lophos, plume, crest, alluding to the crest on the lip  +
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.  +
For Euphorbus, first-century A.D. Greek physician  +
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- , good, well, and thama, crowded, evidently alluding to branching pattern  +
Greek eu- , well, and trema, hole, alluding to perforation in fruit septum  +
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
For Giovanni Valentino Mattia Fabbroni, 1752 – 1822, Italian naturalist  +
Etymology unknown  +
For Guy-Crescent Fagon, 1638–1718, French botanist and chemist, physician to Louis XIV  +
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 Gabriello Fallopio, 1532–1562, Italian anatomist  +
For Virgilio Fallugi, 1627–1707, Italian abbot  +
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 ficus, an old name for edible fig, Ficus carica  +
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  +
Latin fissus, cleft, and dens, tooth, alluding to split peristome teeth  +
For Étienne de Flacourt, 1607–1660, Governor of Madagascar  +
Latin flavus, yellow  +
For Gottfried F. Fleischmann, 1777–1850, teacher of Schultz-Bipontinus at Erlangen  +
For Heinrich Gustav Floerke, 1764–1835, German lichenologist  +
No etymology given  +, perhaps alluding to sometimes purplish involucres  +, possibly from Latin floreus, of flowers, and tina, a wine vessel  +
For Marie-Jean-Pierre Flourens, 1794–1867, physiologist, perpetual secretary, Académie des Sciences, Paris  +
For Johannes Flüggé, 1775–1816, German botanist  +
For Lowell David Flyr, 1937–1971, Texan, synantherologist  +
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 Johann Frankenius, 1590 – 1661, Swedish botanist  +
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 Paul Arnold Fryxell, 1927 – 2011 American student of Malvaceae  +
For Leonhart Fuchs, 1501–1566, German physician, herbalist, and professor at Tübingen  +
for Georg Fuiren, 1581–1628, Danish botanist  +
Latin fumus, smoke, alluding presumably to odor of roots  +
Latin funis, rope, alluding to cord-like twisted seta  +
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  +
Greek gala, milk, and anthos, flower, alluding to the color of the flowers  +
Greek gala, milk, presumably alluding to flower color  +
Latin galea, helmet, and Greek - andrus, male, referring to shape of anther  +
Latin galea, helmet  +
For Claudius Galenius, a.d. 130–200, Roman physician and writer on medicine  +
For Mariano Martínez de Galinsoga, 1766–1797, court physician and director of the Botanic Garden, Madrid  +
Anagram of generic name Malpighia  +
For William Gambel, 1823–1849, American naturalist  +
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  +
Greek gaza, riches or royal treasure, alluding to splendor of flowers  +, or for Theodorus of Gaza (1398–1478), who translated the works of Theophrastus  +
Latin gemma, bud, and Greek bryon, moss, alluding to asexual reproduction  +
Greek ge, earth, and carpos, fruit  +
Greek ge, earth, and kaulos, stalk, alluding to slightly subterranean and stemlike rhizome  +
Greek geraios, old, alluding to white-haired involucre of Geraea canescens  +
Greek geuo or geyo, to give relish, alluding to quality of roots of St. Benedict's herb, G. urbanum  +
Latin gibbus, swollen, and basis, base  +
For Arnold Gillen, seventeenth-century German botanist and physician  +
for M. French Gilman, 1871–1944, Death Valley naturalist  +
Chinese yin, silver, and hing, apricot, in reference to appearance of the seed  +
For Paul Dietrich Giseke, 1741–1796, German professor, botanist, and pupil of Linnaeus  +
Latin gladiolus, little sword, alluding to the leaf shape  +
Latin glandula, gland, and Cactus, an old genus name  +
Greek glaukos, gray-green, in reference to color of waxy bloom on all parts  +
Latin gleba, soil, and - ionis, characteristic of  +, allusion unclear, perhaps to agricultural association  +
Greek glinos, sweet juice  +
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 Frédéric Karl Gochnat, d. 1816, a botanist who worked with Cichorieae  +
For William Gollan, 1855–1905, Scottish superintendent of Edinburgh Botanic Garden and collector in Kashmir  +
Latin gromphaena, a type of amaranth  +
For George Jones Goodman, 1904–1999, authority on Chorizanthe  +
for John Goodyer, 1592–1664, British botanist  +
Latin gossypion, cotton, and Greek anthemon, flower, presumably in reference to the villous tepals  +
Greek gossypion, cotton, or Arabic goz or gothn, a silky or soft substance  +
For Antoine Gouan, 1733–1821, French botanist and ichthyologist at Montpellier, director of botanical garden in 1767, later professor of botany and medicine  +
For J. R. Gowen, English collector in Assam  +
Greek gramme, line, alluding to the elongate sori in a few species  +
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 Charles Francis Greville, 1749–1809, Fellow of the Royal Society  +
For J. F. K. Grimm, 1737–1821, physician and botanist of Gotha, Germany  +
For David Hieronymus Grindel, 1776–1836, Latvian botanist  +
For Abel Joel Grout, 1867 – 1947, American bryologist  +
for Hermann Gruson, 1821–1895, German engineer, and his Magdeburg plant collections  +
Spanish mispronunciation of "Huaicum," Bahamas Islands Taino Amerindians' name for the tree and the medicine derived from its resin  +
Portugese guapirá , a Brazilian name more commonly applied to Avicennia s pecies  +
For “M. le marquis de Guardiola”  +
For Antoine Guillemin, 1796–1842, French botanist, author, and explorer  +
For Pierre Guizot, 1787–1874, French historian, politician  +
For John Gundlach, 1810–1896, naturalist and traveler  +
For John Ernest Gunner, 1718–1773, Norwegian bishop and botanist  +
Possibly for Pedro Gutierrez, Spanish nobleman, not specified by Lagasca  +
for A. Guzman, an 18th-century Spanish naturalist  +
Anagram of Myginda, to which these species had been referred  +
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, presumably gyne, a female, and ura, tail, perhaps alluding to style branches  +
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
Latin habena, rein or strap  +
Greek habros, delicate or splendid, and anthos, flower  +
For Ingebrigt Severin Hagen, 1852 – 1917, Norwegian bryologist  +
For Stephen Hales, 1677–1761, English botanist  +
Greek halimos, of salt, and lobos, rounded protuberance, alluding to superficial resemblance of fruit indumentum to salt  +
Greek halos, salt  +
Greek halo, sea, and philein, to love  +
Greek halos, sea, and ragis, grape-berry, alluding to maritime habitat and bunched fruits  +
Greek name used by Hippocrates for medlar, Mespilus germanica Linnaeus  +
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 Harvey Monroe Hall, 1874–1932, Californian botanist  +
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  +
Latin hasta, spear, and - ola, diminutive, alluding to leaves of type species  +
For S. Clinton Hastings of San Francisco, supporter of S. Watson et al. (1876–1880) on California botany  +
For Barclay Hazard, 1852–1938, amateur botanist from Santa Barbara, California  +
Greek hebe, down of puberty or pubescent, and karpos, fruit, alluding to vestiture  +
Greek hecastos, each, and cleios, to shut up, alluding to one floret enclosed in each involucre  +
Greek hedosyne, delight  +
For Johann Hedwig, 1730 – 1799, German bryologist and physician  +
Greek edys, sweet, and chion, snow, for the fragrant white flowers  +
Ancient name for an endive-like plant, attributed to Pliny  +
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  +
For Helen of Troy  +
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  +
after Mount Helicon in southern Greece, regarded as the home of the Muses  +
Greek helios, sun, and - merus, part  +
Greek helios, sun, and - opsis, likeness  +
Greek, helleborus, ancient name for this plant  +
Greek helminthos, worm, and Latin theca, case or container  +, allusion unclear, perhaps to shapes of cypselae  +
Greek helos, marsh, alluding to the habitat  +
Greek hemeros, day, and kallos, beauty, alluding to the showy flowers, which bloom and wilt in one day  +
Greek, hemi- , half, and skolios, curved, alluding to seed shape  +
Greek hemitomias, half eunuch, alluding to presumed sterility of one anther sac  +
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 Paul Hermann, 1646 – 1695, German-born Dutch botanist and explorer  +
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, differing, and sperma, seed  +, probably alluding to the contrasting outer and inner cypselae  +
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 hibiscus or ibiscum, alluding to cohabitation with Ibis, stork, in marshes  +
No etymology in protologue  +, said to be from Greek hierax, hawk  +
For Friedrich Hilpert, b. 1907, German bryologist  +
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  +
Greek hippos, horse, and oura, tail, alluding to appearance of stem and leaves  +
Greek hiptamai, to fly, alluding to wind-dispersed samaras  +
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  +
Greek holos, whole or all, and osteon, bone, humorous allusion to frailty of the plant  +
Greek holos, whole or entire, and zona, belt or girdle  +, alluding to each phyllary fully (or mostly) investing a ray ovary (cypsela), in contrast to the half-invested cypselae of Hemizonia  +
Greek homalos, even or level, alluding to strongly complanate leaves  +
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 Gerhard August Honckeny, 1724–1805, German botanist  +
For William Jackson Hooker, 1785 – 1865, British botanist and first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew  +
For Johann Horkel, 1769–1846, German plant physiologist  +
Genus Horkelia and Latin - ella, diminutive  +
For Ernst Gottfried Hornung, 1795–1862, German pharmacist in Schwarzburg  +
For Frederick Hinsdale Horsford, 1855 – 1923, Vermont farmer and commercial seedsman, and probably also for Eben Norton Horsford, 1818 – 1893, chemist  +
for Nicolaus Thomas Host, 1761–1834, Austrian botanist and physician to Emperor Frances II  +
For Petrus Hotton, 1648–1709, Dutch botanist  +
For David Hoven, 1724–1787, Dutch senator and botanical patron  +
For John Thomas Howell, 1903–1994, California botanist  +
For William Hudson, 1730 – 1793 English botanist  +
For Eric Hultén, 1894–1981, Swedish botanist, specialist of the circumpolar flora  +
Latin humulus, applied to hop plant  +
for Johann Pete a German fern horticulturist  +
Native American word for poisonous sap, alluding to caustic latex  +
genus Hyacinthus and Greek oides, resembling  +
Greek hybos, hump, and anthos, flower, alluding to recurved pedicels  +
Greek hydor, water, and angeion, diminutive of angos, vessel or container, alluding to shape of mature, dehisced capsule  +
referring to superficial resemblance to some species of Hydrophyllum  +
Greek hydr-, water, and -illa, diminutive  +
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  +
Greek hymen, membrane, and oxys, sharp, alluding to aristate pappus scales  +
Greek hyo, rain, and philia, fondness, alluding to wet habitats  +
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 hypnos, sleep, alluding to ancient use as filler for cushions  +
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  +
Greek hypo, under, and oxys, sharp, referring to the pointed bases of the ovaries  +
I
Name used by Dioscorides for an Iberian plant  +
Derivation unknown  +
For the state Idaho  +
Derivation uncertain  +, perhaps after Lake Iliamna in Alaska  +
Latin illicere, to allure  +
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 inaein, to clean, alluding to medicinal effects  +, or Latin inula, an ancient name for elecampane  +
Greek iodes, violet-colored, and anthos, flower  +
Greek ion, violet, and aktis, ray, alluding to colored ray florets  +
Greek ion, violet, and opsis, having the appearance of  +
Greek eiresione, a wreath or staff entwined with strips of wool, alluding to the long woolly hairs often encircling the calyx  +
Greek iris, rainbow  +
Greek isatis, name used for a dye plant, most likely woad  +
Etymology unknown  +
Greek iso -, same, and carphos, small dry body, evidently alluding to uniform receptacular paleae  +
Greek isos, equal, and kome, hair of the head  +, “so called from its equal flowers” (protologue)  +
Greek, isos, equal, similar, and lepis, a scale  +
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  +
Greek iso, equal, and tri, 3  +, probably referring to 3 sepals of equal size and shape  +
Greek isos, equal, and etos, year, referring to evergreen habit of some species  +
Greek itea, willow, alluding to willowlike leaves  +
Etymology uncertain  +, perhaps for Ajuga iva, a mint with similar odor  +
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  +
No etymology in protologue  +
J
For Nicolaus Joseph von Jacquin, 1727–1817, Austrian botanist  +
For August Jaeger, 1842 – 1877, Swiss bryologist  +
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  +
Greek iatros, physician, and trophe, food, alluding to use of J. curcas as purgative  +
For J. H. Jaume St. Hilaire, 1772–1845, French botanist  +
Spanish jefe, chief  +, for Billie Lee Turner, b. 1925, Texan, botanist  +
Named for Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), third president of the United States  +
For Jens Christian Clausen, 1891–1969, Californian botanist  +
For Willis Linn Jepson, 1867–1946, California botanist  +
for John Thomas Howell, 1903–1994, California botanist and Eriogonum scholar  +
Latin Jovis, Jupiter, and barba, beard, alluding to fringed petals  +
classical name for the genus  +
for Thomas Drummond  +
Latin juniperus, name for juniper  +
K
Apparently from Chinese name for one of the species  +
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 David Daniels Keck, 1903–1995, California botanist, and ella, honor  +
For Francis Duncan Kelsey, 1849 – 1905 Montana Botanist  +
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 Frantz Caspar Kiaer, 1835–1893, Norwegian bryologist  +
For Jean Jacques Kickx, 1842–1887, Belgian botanist  +
For Nils Conrad Kindberg, 1832 – 1910, Swedish bryologist  +
Etymology unknown  +, possibly an oblique reference to the leaves as a source of dye like indigo  +
for J. P. von Cobres, 1747–1823, German bibliophile  +
For W. D. J. Koch, 1771–1849, German naturalist and physician  +
For Christoph Ludwig Koeberlin, 1794–1862, German clergyman and botanist  +
For Johann Gerhard König, 1827–1785, pupil of Linnaeus  +
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 David Krieg, 16??–1713, plant collector in Maryland and Delaware  +
For Carl Wilhelm Krug, 1833–1898, major collaborator with Urban on the West Indian flora, and Greek dendron, tree  +
For Donald William Kyhos, b. 1929, Californian botanist  +
for Peter Kylling, Danish botanist, d. 1696  +
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  +
No etymology in protologue  +, traceable to Latin lac, milk, alluding to the milky sap  +
For Mariano Lagasca y Segura, Spanish botanist at the Madrid Botanical Garden  +
Greek lagenos, flask, alluding to shape and use of fruit  +
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  +
Greek lagos, hare, and otos, ear, alluding to calyx of some 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  +
For F.L. de Laporte de Castelnau, leader of expeditions to South America  +
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  +
Latin larix, name for larch  +
For Juan Antonio Pérez Hernández de Larrea, 1730–1803, Catholic bishop of Valladolid, Spain  +
Alteration of genus name Lasianthus  +, Greek lasios, hairy, and anthos, flower  +
For José Victorino Lastarria Santander, 1817–1888, lawyer and founder of the Liberal Party in Chile  +
Greek, for a student of Plato, said to have been a woman who dressed as a man  +
For J. Cl. M. Mordant de Launay, 1750–1816, lawyer, later librarian at Musée d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris  +
For Lavater family, 17th-century physicians and naturalists of Zurich  +
For George Tradescant Lay, a naturalist on Beechey’s voyage (1825–1828)  +
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 Johan Leche, 1704 – 1764, Swedish botanist  +
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 name of a water plant  +
Greek lenos, trough, and phyllon, leaf  +
Greek leon, lion, and odons, tooth, alluding to deeply toothed leaves  +
Greek lepis, scale, and anthos, flower, referring to small, scalelike flowers  +
Greek lepidion or lepidos, scale, alluding to appearance of fruit  +
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, delicate, and odon, tooth, alluding to peristome  +
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 Nathanael Gottfried Leske, 1751 – 1786, botanist of Lei p zig  +
Genus Leskea and Latin - ella, dimin u tive  +
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 leukos, white, and odon, tooth, alluding to pale peristome teeth  +
Greek leukos, white, and ion, violet, alluding to the color and scent of the flowers  +
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 name for a princess of Babylon  +
For Meriwether Lewis, 1774–1809, American explorer  +
Derivation unknown  +
for Marie A. Libert, 1782–1863, Belgian botanist and student of liverworts  +
Misspelled anagram of local French Guiana name caligni  +
local name in French Guiana  +
Latin, ligula, little tongue, and -aria, pertaining to or possession of  +, alluding to corollas of radiate heads  +
for French botanist Alire Raffeneau-Delile, 1778–1850  +
Greek lirion, white lily  +
Latin limbus, border, and -ella, diminutive, alluding to limbate leaf margins  +
Greek limne, marsh, and anthe, flower, alluding to habitat  +
Greek limnobios, living in pools  +
Greek limne, pool, and philos, loving, alluding to habitat  +
Greek leimon, meadow, referring to frequent occurrence of some species on salt meadows  +
Latin limosus, full of mud, and -ella, diminutive, alluding to habitat  +
Latin linum, flax, and -aria, resemblance, alluding to leaf similarity  +
For Sextus Otto Lindberg, 1835 – 1889, Scandinavian br y ologist  +
for John Linder, 1676-1723, Swedish botanist  +
For Franz Balthasar von Lindern, 1682–1755, French botanist and physician  +
For Ferdinand Jacob Lindheimer, 1801–1879, German expatriate, botanist/intellect, settled in Texas  +
Latin lin, flax  +
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  +
For Martin Lister (1638–1711), noted English physician and naturalist  +
Greek lithos, stone, and carpos, fruit, referring to the hard fruit wall  +
Greek lithos, stone, and phragma, hedge or fence, alluding to rocky habitat  +, or an unsuccessful attempt to render Saxifraga in Greek  +
Litsé, the Chinese name for the plant  +
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  +
Latin lobulus, small lobe, alluding to small silicles  +
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  +
anagram of generic name Filago  +
Lomaria, a subgenus of Blechnum (Blechnaceae), plus Greek - opsis, like  +
Greek lophia, mane or crest, in reference to pubescence on adaxial sides of tepals  +
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 Christian Gottlieb Ludwig, 1709–1773, botanist and physician of Leipzig  +
For Friedrich Benjamin Lütke (later russified to Count Fyodor Petrovich Litke), 1797 – 1882 Russian sea captain and Arctic explorer  +
Arabic lufah, name for L. aegyptiaca  +
Anagram of Inula, name of another genus of Asteraceae  +
For Alphonse Luisier, 1872–1957, French bryologist  +
Chilean Native American (Mapuche) name for hardwood of Amomyrtus luma  +
For Istrán Lumnitzer, 1750–1806, Hungarian botanist  +
Latin luna, moon, alluding to persistent, silvery, large fruit septum  +
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 lykos, wolf, and pous, podes, foot  +, in reference to the resemblance of the branch tips to a wolf's paw  +
For Sir Charles Lyell, 1767–1849  +
Greek lygos, twig or stick, and desme, bundle, alluding to clumped, sticklike stems with reduced leaves  +
Greek lygodes, flexible, in reference to the twining rachis  +
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 lyra, lyre, and karpos, fruit, alluding to fruit shape  +
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  +
Greek lythron, gore, alluding to use of L. salicaria in arresting hemorrhages  +
M
For Tom J. Mabry, 1932–2015, American botanist and phytochemist  +
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  +
for American geologist William Maclure, 1763-1840  +
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  +
From native name in Chile  +
For Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), professor and director of the botanical garden at Montpellier, France  +
Latin Maius, May, and Greek anthemon, flower  +
Ancient name, perhaps from Greek malache, mallow  +
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 malaxis, softening, in reference to soft and tender texture of leaves  +
Greek malle, arm-hole, and pherein, to bear, in reference to the seed pockets of the fruits  +
For Edward Palmer, 1831–1911, American field botanist who collected the type material  +, based on anagram of his surname  +
For Marcello Malpighi, 1628–1694, Italian anatomist  +
Latin malus, apple tree  +
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  +
generic name Malva and Latin -ella, diminutive  +
Latin mamma, breast or teat, alluding to fruit  +
Latin mamilla, nipple, in reference to shap e of tubercles, which produce “milky” white latex in some species  +
For Manfredus de Monte Imperiale, fourteenth-century Italian writer on medical simples  +
From Brazilian vernacular name mani oca, wood spirit root, alluding to use  +
Malabar Manil, from Portuguese Manilhas Insulas (Manila, Philippines), and kara, edible fruit  +
Anagram of specific epithet salmantica  +
for Bartolomea Maranti, Venetian physician and botanist who lived during the mid 1500s  +
For Moses Marshall, 1758–1813, American botanist, nephew of and assistant to Humphrey Marshall  +
for Count Luigi Marsigli (1656–1730), Italian mycologist at Bologna  +
Greek matrix, womb, and - aria, pertaining to  +, alluding to reputed medicinal properties  +
for Car 1863, physicist at the University of Florence, Italy  +
For Pietro Andrea Matthioli, 1500–1577, Italian artist and botanist  +
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  +
Latin maxilla, jawbone  +, apparently an allusion to the open-mouth appearance of the flower when viewed laterally  +
for William R. Maxon, (1877–1948), American pteridologist  +
Vernacular Chilean mayten, name for type species  +
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 mekon, poppy, and ella, diminutive  +
for Medea, mythical sorceress  +
For David Meese, 1723 – 1770, Dutch gardener  +
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  +
Often said (erroneously) to be from Greek melampodion, blackfoot  +, evidently traceable to Melampus, a soothsayer of renown in Greek mythology  +
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  +
Arabic melóchich, name for Corchorus olitorius Linnaeus, a salad plant in the East  +
Greek melothron, ancient name for some fruiting vine, probably Bryonia  +
Greek mene, moon, and sperma, seed  +
For Christian Mentzel, 1622–1701, German botanist  +
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 (Latinized) meso, middle, and aden, gland  +
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  +
Country name Mexico and Latin malva, mallow  +
Greek micros, small, and anthemom, flower  +
Greek mikros, small, and anthos, flower  +
Greek mikros, small, and bryon, moss  +
Greek mikros, small, and gramme, line  +, the sori are elongate in the type species  +
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  +
Generic name Micropus and Greek - opsis, resembling  +
Greek micros, small, and pous, foot, perhaps alluding to tiny receptacles  +
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  +
For Josef Gottfried Mikan, 1743–1814, professor, University of Prague  +
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  +
Greek mimo, ape, and ops, face, alluding to appearance of flower  +
for J. Minuart, 1693–1768, Spanish botanist and pharmacist  +
Latin mirabilis, wonderful  +
Greek plant name used by Dioscorides  +, probably misos, to hate, and pateo, to trample, alluding to erect stems (in contrast to low lying habit of Orontium aquaticum)  +
ella, diminutive, alluding to cap-shaped fruit  +
Greek mnion, moss  +
Latin modiolus, wheel hub, alluding to fruit shape  +
for P. H. G. Moehring, 1710–1791, Danzig naturalist  +
for Conrad Moench, 1744–1805, professor at Marburg, Germany  +
Alluding to Mohave River  +
For Ludwig Molendo, 1833–1902, German muscologist  +
Latin mollis, soft or pliant  +, from Galium mollugo, probably because of similarity of whorled leaves  +
Latin mordicus, biting, alluding to sculptured seed surfaces and margins, appearing as though bitten  +
Greek monos, one, single, and hesis, delight, alluding to attractive, solitary flower  +
For Josephus Monninus (José Moñino y Redondo), eighteenth-century Spanish Count of Florida-Blanca, administrator, and patron of botany  +
Greek monos, solitary, and lepis, scale, for the typically solitary sepal  +
Greek monos, single, and lopos, husk, alluding to phyllaries  +
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 Giuseppe Monti, 1682–1760, Italian botanist  +
Tamil murungai, twisted pod, alluding to young fruit  +
For Samuel George Morton, 1799–1851, North American naturalist  +
Latin morum, mulberry  +
For Charles A. Mosier, 1871–1936, first superintendent of Royal Palm State Park, Florida’s first state park (now Everglades National Park)  +
Latin mucronis, sharp point, alluding to awns of bracts and involucres  +
for H. G. Muehlenbeck, 1798–1845, Swiss physician  +
Anagram of Allium  +
Latin mulgere, to milk, alluding to milky sap  +
For Abraham Munting, 1626 – 1683 Dutch botanist  +
For P. A. Munz, 1892–1974, American botanist, and Greek thamnos, shrub  +
In honor of Murdan Aly, plant collector and keeper of the herbarium at Saharunpore  +
Arabic mouz  +
Greek moschos, musk, alluding to the scent of the flowers  +
Greek muagron, name used by Dioscorides and Pliny for a species of mustard  +
No etymology in protologue  +, no readily discernible meaning from Greek or Latin roots  +
Greek myo, to shut, and poros, hole, alluding to transparent spots on leaves closed with pellucid substance  +
Greek myos, mouse, and otos, ear, alluding to leaves  +
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 my for tamarisk or another aromatic shrub  +, possibly from myrizein, to perfume  +
For Claes Gustav Myrin, 1803 – 1835, Swedish bryologist  +
Greek myrios, countless, and phyllon, leaf, alluding to capillary segments of lower and/or submersed leaves  +
Greek name for a kind of myrtle  +
Classical name for a species of myrtle  +
Greek myos, mouse, and oura, tail, alluding to appearance of branches  +
Greek mys, mouse, oura, tail, and clados, branch, alluding to resemblance  +
N
Greek Nnaias, a water-nymph  +
Chinese name meaning "plant from the south"  +
Greek napaea, wood nymph, alluding to woodland habitat  +
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  +
For Noel Martin Joseph de Necker, 1730 – 1793, French botanist  +
Genus Neckera and Greek -opsis, resemblance  +
Latin nectar, from Greek nektar, and Greek andro, male  +
For Patrick Neill, 1776 – 1851 Scottish printer, naturalist, and secretary of the Caledonian Horticultural Society  +
Etymology uncertain  +, perhaps Latin nec, not, and Greek mya, unknown plant, alluding to segregation from Ampelopsis and Vitis  +
Ceylonese vernacular name  +
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 J. A. N. de Nesle, eighteenth-century French gardener at Poitiers  +
anagram of generic name Stenotus, wherein these species have previously resided  +
Greek knestron, name for Daphne  +
Greek neuron, nerve, and -ium, resemblance  +, veinlets are embossed  +
For the state of Nevada, where endemic  +
For Reuben Denton Nevius, 1827 – 1913 clergyman and amateur botanist  +
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.  +
Latin niger, black, and ella, diminutive  +, pertaining to seeds  +
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  +