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
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton
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