The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants (22 page)

giganteum
(Wall.) Makino. jie-
gan
-tee-oom. Lat. very large. Himal., China. var.
yunnanense
(Leichtlin ex Elwes) Stearn. yue-nan-
en
-see. Of Yunnan. China.

Cardiospermum
L. (Sapindaceae). kar-dee-oh-
sperm
-oom. Gk. heart seed, from the white heart-shaped
spot on the seeds. 12 spp. climbers. Trop. Am., Africa.

halicacabum
L. hal-ee-
kak
-uh-boom. Balloon vine. Gk. name for a species of
Physalis
. Trop. Am., Africa.

cardoon
Cynara cardunculus

Carex
L. (Cyperaceae).
kair
-rex. Sedges. The Lat. name. 1800 spp. perenn. herbs. Widespread.

acuta
L. uh-
kew
-tuh. Slender tufted sedge. Lat. pointed. Eur., N Africa, W and C Asia.

aquatilis
Wahlenb. uh-
kwat
-i-lis. Water sedge. Lat. living in water. Eur., N Asia, USA, E Canada.

bebbii
Olney ex Britton.
beb
-ee-ee. Bebb’s sedge. After Michael Schuck Bebb (1833–1895), US botanist. Canada, N USA.

bicknellii
Britton & A. Br. bik-
nel
-eeee. Bicknell’s sedge. After Eugene Pintard Bicknell (1859–1925), US naturalist who named several species in the genus. USA, S Canada.

brunnea
Thunb.
broon
-ee-uh. Greater brown sedge. Lat. brown (the flower spikes). SE Asia, trop. Africa, Australia.

buchananii
Berggr. bew-
kan
-uhn-eeee. Buchanan’s sedge. After Scottish-born NZ botanist and artist John Buchanan (1819–1898). NZ.

comans
Berggr.
koh
-muhnz. Lat. long-haired (foliage likened to hair). NZ.

comosa
Boott. ko-
moh
-suh. Long hair sedge. Lat. long-haired. S Canada, USA, Mex.

conica
Boott.
kon
-i-kuh. Lat. conical. S Korea, Japan.

crinita
Lam.
krin
-i-tuh. Fringed sedge. Lat. long-haired (the long awns). E N Am.

dipsacea
Berggr. dip-
say
-see-uh. Like
Dipsacus
(the inflorescence). NZ.

elata
All. ee-
lah
-tuh. Tufted sedge. Lat. tall. Eur. to C Asia.

flacca
Schreb.
flak
-uh. Glaucous sedge. Lat. drooping (the inflorescence). Eur., Medit., W and C Asia.

flagellifera
Colenso. fla-je-
li
-fe-ruh. Lat. bearing whips (the whip-like stems). Tasmania, NZ.

grayi
J. Carey.
gray
-ee. Gray’s sedge. After Asa Gray (1810–1888), US botanist who named it as a variety of another species. E USA, E Canada.

lacustris
Willd. luh-
kus
-tris. Hairy sedge. Lat. growing in lakes. N Am.

lupulina
Muhl. ex Willd. lup-ew-
lee
-nuh. Hop sedge. Lat. hop-like (the inflorescence). E N Am., N Mex.

morrowii
Boott. mo-
roh
-ee-ee. After James Morrow (1820–1865), US agriculturist. Japan.

muskingumensis
Schwein. mus-king-uhm-
en
-sis. Muskingum sedge. Of the Muskingum River, Ohio. E USA, E Canada.

oshimemsis
Nakai. osh-ee-
men
-sis. Of Oshima Is. Japan.

pendula
Huds.
pen
-dew-luh. Pendulous sedge. Lat. pendulous (the flowerheads). Eur., Medit., W Asia.

pensylvanica
Lam. pen-sil-
van
-i-kuh. Pennsylvania sedge. Of Pennsylvania. USA, E and C Canada.

phyllocephala
T. Koyama. fil-oh-
kef
-uh-luh. Gk. with a leafy head. SE China, Japan.

plantaginea
Lam. plahn-tuh-
jin
-ee-uh. Plantainleaf sedge. Lat. like
Plantago
. E N Am.

pseuodocyperus
L. sue-doh-
sip
-uhroos. Gk. false
Cyperus
.

scoparia
Willd. skoh-
pair
-ree-uh. Broom sedge. Lat. broom-like. N Am.

siderosticta
Hance. sid-uh-roh-
stik
-tuh. Gk. iron-spotted (rusty spots on the leaf veins). E Asia.

stipata
Muhl. ex Willd. stie-
pah
-tuh. Awlfruit sedge. Lat. crowded (the inflorescence). E Asia, N Am.

stricta
Lam.
strik
-tuh. Upright sedge. Lat. upright (the shoots). E USA, E Canada.

tenuiculmis
(Petrie) Heenan & de Lange. ten-ew-ee-
kul
-mis. Lat. slender-stemmed. NZ.

testacea
Sol. ex Boott. test-
ay
-see-uh. Orange sedge. Lat. with a shell. NZ.

trifida
Cav.
tri
-fi-duh. Muttonbird sedge. Lat. divided into three (the three stigmas). NZ, Tasmania (Macquarie Is.), S Chile, Subantarctic Is.

vulpinoidea
Michx. vul-pin-
oy
-dee-uh. Fox sedge. Like
C. vulpina
, Lat. fox(tail)-like (the inflorescence). S Canada, USA, Mex.

Carlina
L. (Asteraceae). kar-
lie
-nuh. After Charlemagne, whose army was said to be cured of plague by it. 28 spp. ann. and perenn. herbs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.

acaulis
L. ay-
kaw
-lis. Stemless carline thistle. Lat. stemless. Eur. subsp.
simplex
(Waldst. & Kit.) Nyman.
sim
-plex. Lat. undivided (the stem).

carline thistle, stemless
Carlina acaulis

Carmichaelia
R. Br. (Fabaceae). kar-mie-
kee
-lee-uh. After Capt. Dugald Carmichael (1772–1827), Scottish surgeon and naturalist. 24 spp., shrubs, trees. NZ, Australia (Lord Howe Is.).

australis
R. Br. os-
trah
-lis. Lat. southern. NZ.

carmichaeliae
(Hook.f.) Heenan. karmie-
kee
-lee-ie. Pink broom. Like
Carmichaelia
(originally named in another genus,
Notospartium
). NZ.

glabrescens
(Petrie) Heenan. glab-
res
-uhnz. Lat. becoming glabrous. NZ.

×
hutchinsii
(M. D. Griffiths) Heenan. huch-
inz
-ee-ee. After English nurseryman Graham Hutchins, who raised it.
C. astonii
×
C. glabrescens
. Cult.

odorata
Benth. oh-do-
rah
-tuh. Lat. fragrant (the flowers). NZ.

petriei
Kirk.
pet
-ree-ee. After Scottish-born botanist Donald Petrie (1846–1925), who collected the type specimen. NZ.

×
Carmispartium hutchinsii
M. D. Griffiths =
Carmichaelia
×
hutchinsii

carnation
Dianthus caryophyllus

Carpenteria
Torr. (Hydrangeaceae). kar-pen-
te
-ree-uh. After William Marbury Carpenter (1811–1848), physician and naturalist of Louisiana, USA. 1 sp., subshrub. Calif.

californica
Torr. kal-i-
for
-ni-kuh. Tree anemone. Of California.

Carpinus
L. (Betulaceae). kar-
pie
-noos. Hornbeams. Lat. name for
C. betulus
. 40 spp., trees, shrubs. N temp. regs., C Am.

betulus
L.
bet
-ew-loos. European hornbeam. Like
Betula
(birch). Eur., W Asia.

caroliniana
Walter. ka-ro-lin-ee-
ah
-nuh. American hornbeam, blue beech, ironwood. Of the Carolinas. E Canada, C and E USA.

cordata
Blume. kor-
dah
-tuh. Lat. heart-shaped (the leaves). E Russia, China, Japan.

fangiana
Hu. fang-ee-
ah
-nuh. After Chinese botanist Fang Wenpei (1899–1983), who collected the type specimen in Sichuan in 1928. SW China.

japonica
Blume. juh-
pon
-i-kuh. Japanese hornbeam. Of Japan. Japan.

turczaninowii
Hance. tur-chan-i-
nov
-ee-ee. After Russian botanist Porphir Kiril Nicolai Stepanowitsch Turczaninow (1796–1863). N China, Korea, Japan.

Carpobrotus
N. E. Br. (Aizoaceae). kar-poh-
broh
-toos. Gk. fruit, edible. 12 spp. succulents. S Africa, Australia, Chile.

edulis
(L.) L. Bolus.
ed
-ew-lis. Hottentot fig. Lat. edible (the fruit). S Africa.

carrot
Daucus carota

Carum
L. (Apiaceae).
ka
-room. Gk. name for
C. carvi
. 30 spp. herbs. Temp. and subtrop. regs.

carvi
L.
kar
-vee. Caraway. The Lat. name. Medit.

Carya
Nutt. (Juglandaceae).
ka
-reeuh. Hickories. From the Gk. name of
Juglans regia
(walnut). 18 spp. trees. N and C Am., E Asia.

cordiformis
(Wangenh.) K. Koch. kor-di-
form
-is. Bitternut. Lat. heart-shaped (the nuts). SE Canada, E and C USA.

glabra
(Mill.) Sweet.
glab
-ruh. Pignut. Lat. smooth (the shoots). SE Canada, E and C USA.

illinoinensis
(Wangenh.) K. Koch. il-i-noh-in-
en
-sis. Pecan. Of Illinois. E and C USA, Mex.

laciniosa
(F. Michx.) G. Don. luh-sinee-
oh
-suh. Big shellbark hickory, kingnut. Lat. with flaps (the bark). SE Canada, E and C USA.

ovata
(Mill.) K. Koch. oh-
vah
-tuh. Shagbark hickory, shellbark hickory. Lat. ovate (the leaflets). SE Canada, E and C USA, Mex.

Caryopteris
Bunge (Lamiaceae). ka-ree-
op
-te-ris. Gk. nut wing, referring to the winged fruit. 7 spp., herbs, shrubs. E Asia.

×
clandonensis
A. Simmonds. klan-don-
en
-sis. Of (West) Clandon, Surrey, UK, where it was found by Arthur Simmonds in his garden.
C. incana
×
C. mongholica.
Cult.

divaricata
Maxim. di-va-ri-
kah
-tuh. Lat. wide-spreading (the branches). China, Japan, Korea.

incana
(Thunb. ex Houtt.) Miq. in-
kah
-nuh. Lat. grey-hairy (the leaves). China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan.

Cassinia leptophylla
(G. Forst.) R. Br. =
Ozothamnus leptophyllus

Cassiope
D. Don (Ericaceae). kas-
ee
-opee. After Cassiope of Gk. myth., mother of Andromeda. 12 spp. shrubs. N hemisph.

lycopodioides
(Pall.) D. Don. lie-kohpoh-dee-
oy
-deez. Like
Lycopodium
. NW USA, W Canada.

mertensiana
(Bong.) D. Don. merten-zee-
ah
-nuh. After Karl Heinrich Mertens (1796–1830), German naturalist. W USA, W Canada.

tetragona
(L.) D. Don. tet-ruh-
goh
-nuh. Gk. four-angled (the shoots).

cast-iron plant
Aspidistra elatior

castor oil plant
Ricinus communis