What Do Those Botanical Names Mean?
Botanical names tell a lot about a plant. I compiled a list of names used frequently in the naming of plants. This is by no means a complete list but will help you understand a lot about a plant name when you understand its meaning. For those of you looking for a more comprehensive list or dictionary, Timber Press publishes Dictionary of Plant Names. It's a good little reference for under $15.00. I find I use it a lot to help pronounce a name or even to find out more about its name.You may copy this list for your personal use to help you understand what that botanical name means.
Quick Jumps
Colors of Flowers or Foliage
Leaf Form
Plant or Flower Scents
Plant Peculiarities
Plant Shape
Origin of Species
Colors of Flowers or Foliage
-
alba, albus - white
arg, argenteus - silvery
ater - black
aurantiaca - orange
aureus - golden
aure, aurea, aureum - gold
azurea, azureus - azure, sky blue
caesius - blue gray
caerula - deep blue
candidus - pure white, shiny
canus - ashy gray, hoary
carneus - flesh colored
citrinus - yellow
coeruleus - dark blue
coccineus - scarlet
concolor - one color
croceus - yellow
cruentus - bloody
discolor - two or separate colors
flava, flavum - yellow
glaucus - covered with gray bloom
griseum - gray
incanus - gray, hoary
lutea, luteus - reddish yellow
miniata - of a reddish color
nigra - black
purpurea, purpureus - purple
rosea - rose-colored
rubens, ruber - red, ruddy
rubra, rubrum - red
rufus - ruddy
sanguinea - blood-red
viridis - green
Leaf Form
-
acerifolius - maplelike leaves
abr - delicate leaved
angustifolius - narrow leaves
aquifolius - spiney leaves
buxifolius - leaves like boxwood
ilicifolius - hollylike leaves
lanceolata - lance-shaped
lauriflolius - laurel-like leaves
longifolia - long-leaved
macrophylla - large-leaved
microphylla - small-leaved
parvifolia - small-leaved
parvifolius - small leaves
palmate, palmatum - hand-shaped leaves
populifolius - poplarlike leaves
rotundifolia - round-leaved
salicifolius - willowlike leaves
Plant or Flower Scents
-
arom - odor
dulce - sweet
fragrans - fragrant
fragrantissima - very fragrant
mosch - musk odor
odorata - scented
Plant Peculiarities
-
acaulis - stemless
amabile, amabilis - beautiful
blanda - pleasent
communis - common
contorta - contorted growth habit
cordata - heart-shaped
crispa - finely waved, curled
florida, floridus - flowering
gracilis - graceful
grandiflora - large-flowered
hybridus - hybrid
incana - gray-haired
lactea - milky
laevis - smooth
maculata - spotted
majus - larger
maxima - largest
millefolium - thousand-leaved
minor, minus - smaller
minim - very small
minut, minutus - very small
mollis - soft and/or hairy
mon - one (one leaf, one flower)
multiflora - many-flowered
nitida, nitidum - shining
officinalis - used as
perenne, perennis - perennial
pictum - painted
pulchella - pretty
punctata - spotted
semperflorens - everblooming
sempervirens - evergreen
speciosa - showy
spectabilis - spectacular
spinosissimus - spiniest
spinosus - spiny
superbum - superb
tomentosa, tomentosum - hairy
umbellata - having flowers in umbels
variegata - variegated
villosa, villosum - softly hairy
vulgaris - common
Plant Shape
-
arborescens - treelike
elata - tall
elegans - elegant, slender, willowy
recta, erecta - upright, erect
fruticosa - shrublike
grand, grandi = big
humilis - low-growing
nana - dwarf, miniature
pendula -drooping, pendulous
prostrat, prostratum, procumbens - prostrate
pumilia - low-growing, dwarf
repens, reptans - creeping
scandens - climbing
Origin of Species
aethiopium - Africa
alpin - alpine regions
andi - Andes
antill - West Indies
australis - southern
barbadensis - native to Barbados
borealis - northern
campestris - of the field or plains
canadensis - from Canada or America
canariensis - from the Canary Islands
capensis - from the Cape of Good Hope
chilensis - from Chile
chinensis - from China
europa - from Europe
hortensis - of the garden
insularis - of the island
japonica - japonicum - from Japan
littoralis - of the seashore
maritima - from near the sea
montana, montanus - from the mountains
palustris - from marshes or wetlands
riparius - of river banks
rivalis, rivularis - of brooks
saxatilis - inhabiting rocks
virginiana - from Virginia
