Botanical Terms Explained
Some Botanical Terms Explained
Thanks to http://www.alter-natives.co.nz
The descriptive clues in botanical names. Some names relate to flower colour, others to habit, and others to origin. Some of the most common terms are listed here, as well as some specially New Zealand botanical terms.
A
• alba white
• albicans becoming white
• albiflorus white flower
• alpina alpine
• angustifolius narrow leaved
• apetala has no petals
• arachnoides spider or spider webs e.g. Sempervivium arachnoideum, the house leek has spider web like appearance
• arboreus or aborescens tree like appearance
• arenaria of sand, referring to plants from sandy places
• argentea or argyraea silver or silvery
• atro dark coloured as in 'atropurpureum'
• attenuata narrows to a point
• aurantica orange
• aurea or aureus gold or golden
• australis southern
• azurea azure or sky blue
B
• banksii named for Sir Joseph Banks, botanist on Captain Cook's voyages
• bellidioides daisy-like appearance, referring to bellis, the daisy
• bicolour two coloured
• bidwillii named for John Bidwill, early New Zealand alpine plant enthusiast
• Brachyglottis short tongued, referring to the short ray florets
• buchananii named for John Buchanan, early New Zealand botanist
C
• caerulea dark blue
• caerulecens bluish, blue tinged
• campanulatus bell shaped
• canadensis of Canada or North-eastern America
• canina of dogs, usually means inferior plant (the Romans were not dog-lovers!)
• cardinalis scarlet, cardinal red
• carnea deep pink
• cataria of cats, eg Nepeta cataria, catmint
• carractae of waterfalls
• chathamicus/chathamica of the Chatham Islands
• chinensis of China
• chlorantha green flowered
• cinerea ash colour, greyish
• coccineum scarlet
• columaris columnar
• colensoi named for William Colenso, early botanist
• confertiflora flowers that are crowded together
• cordata heart shaped
• crassifolius/crassifolia/crassifolium with thick leaves
• cunnihamii named for Allan Cunningham, early botanist
D
• decora beautiful
• delayavi for Abbe Jean Marie Delavay missionary and collector
• dieffenbachii for Dr Ernst Dieffenbach, naturalist
• discolor two different colours
• dissecta deeply cut, usually of a leaf
• domestica cultivated
• davidii for Pere Arman David, missionary plant collector
• Dracanena female dragon
E
• Echinops a hedgehog, spiky
• Echium vipers ( a snake)
• Erodium heron's bill, referring to the shape of the seedpods
• excelsa/excelsum/excelsus tall
• eximia exceptional
F
• fibrosa fibrous
• flava clear yellow
• florida flowering
• -florus of flowers
• foetidus smelling, stinking
• -folius of leaves
• forestii for George Forest, Scottish plant collector
• fragrans/fragrantissima fragrant
• frutcosa shrubby
• fulvida tawny coloured
H
• haastii for Julius von Haast, explorer
• hastata spear shaped
• hookeri for Sir William or Sir Joseph Hooker, directors of Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
• hortensia of gardens
• horizontalis flat, horizontal
• humilis low growing
G
• Geranium crane's bill, referring to the shape of the seedpods
• gracilis graceful
• graminea grass-like
I
• ilicifolia holly-like (from Ilex or Holly)
• incana grey
• indica of India
• insignis notable
• issima very (as in 'bellissima')
• isophylla equal sized leaves
• ixioides ixia like
J
• japonica of Japan
• jucundum attractive example
K
• kirkii for Thomas Kirk, botanist
L
• laetus/laetum milky
• latifolius/latifolia broad leaved
• lessonii/lessoniana for Pierre Lesson surgeon and botanist
• lineata striped, with lines
• lucida/lucens shining, bright
• lutea yellow
• lutescens becoming yellow
• lyallii for David Lyall, surgeon
M
• macrantha having large flowers
• marcrocarpa having large fruit
• marcophylla having large leaves
• meleagris spotted like a guinea fowl as in Fritillaria meleagris
• melissa honey bee
• microphylla very small leaved
• monroi for Sir David Monro, plant collector
• montana/montanum of the mountains
• moschatum musky scented
• myosotis mouse's ear
N
• nigra black
• novae-zelandiae of New Zealand
O
• officinalis sold as a herb
• orientalis eastern
P
• paniculata having flowers in panicles
• Pelargonium stork's bill, referring to the shape of the seedpods
• petriei for Donald Petrie, plant collector
• praecox early, of flowering
• procumbens prostrate
• procurrens spreading
• prolifera prolific or free flowering
• prostrata prostrate or lying on the ground
• pumila/pumilo dwarf
• purpurea purple (Echinea purpurea)
• purpurascens purplish, tinged purple
R
• Ranunculus frog, because both like marshy, boggy ground
• recta upright
• reflexa bent backwards
• reptans or repens creeping
• richardii for Achille Richard, French botanist
• rigens/rigida rigid or stiff habit
• roseum rose colour
• rotundata rounded
• rotundifolia having round-shaped leaves
• rubra/rubrum red
• rugosa/rugosum wrinkled
• rupestris growing in rocks
S
• salicina/salicifolia willow like
• sanguinea blood red
• scandens climbing
• serotina late flowering or late ripening
• serpens creeping
• spictata in spikes
• stans/stricta erect or upright
• supine supine or prostrate
T
• trigida spotted like a tiger
U
• umbellatus flowers appearing to be in umbels
• ursinum a bear, referring to shaggy appearance
V
• vernus of spring
• viridis/virens green
• viridfolius green leaved
• versicolor multi coloured
• vulgaris common
Z
• Zebrina zebra, referring to the stripes
Botanical Terms - New Zealand Plant Names
New Zealand plants are special. Many are unique to our island country and found nowhere else in the world.
The descriptive clues in botanical names are rewarding if you translate or understand the terms themselves. The names of our plants reflect their discoverers, place of origin and our history.
A
• Aciphylla the Spaniard for the sharp, needle leaves
• Agathis the kauri, from agathis 'ball of thread' for the distinctive cones
• Arthropodium the rengarenga lily, from 'arthro' a joint and 'podion' stalk (has jointed pedicels)
• Astelia stem-less
• australis southern, as in Cordyline australis
B
• banksii named for Sir Joseph Banks, botanist on Captain Cook's voyages
• bidwillii named for John Bidwill, early New Zealand alpine plant enthusiast
• buchananii named for John Buchanan, early New Zealand botanist
C
• Celmisia mountain daisies, after Celmisios in Greek mythology
• chathamicus/chathamica of the Chatham Islands
• Clianthus kaka beak, from 'kleos' glory and 'anthos' flower for the distinctive flowers
• colensoi named for William Colenso, early botanist
• Coprosma smelling of manure
• Cordyline the cabbage tree, meaning a club as the large and fleshy roots resemble
• Corokia from the Maori name 'Korokio'
• cunnihamii named for Allan Cunningham, early botanist
D
• Dicksonia the tree fern, for James Dickson a Scottish nurseryman and naturalist
• dieffenbachii for Dr Ernst Dieffenbach, naturalist
• Dracophyllum the grass trees, from 'draco' dragon and 'phyllum' leaf
G
• Griselinia the broadleaf, for Franseco Griselini, naturalist
H
• haastii for Julius von Haast, explorer
• Hebe for the Greek Goddess of youth 'Hebe'
• Hoheria for the Moari name 'Houhere'
• hookeri for Sir William or Sir Joseph Hooker, directors of Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
K
• kirkii for Thomas Kirk, early botanist
L
• Leptospermum the manuka, 'leptos' or slender and ' sperma' or seed for the narrow seeds
• lessonii/lessoniana for Pierre Lesson, surgeon and botanist
• lyallii for David Lyall, surgeon
M
• Metrosideros the rata and pohutukawa for their very hard wood; 'metra' heartwood and 'sideros' iron hard
• monroi for Sir David Monro, plant collector
• Muehlenbeckia after Muehlenbeck, a French physician and botanist
• Myosotidium the Chatham Island Forget-me-not, for Myosotis the European forgetme-not
N
• Nothofagus native beech, from 'nothos' false and 'fagus' the beech
• novae-zelandiae meaning 'of New Zealand'
O
• Olearia because it resembles an olive tree (Olea)
P
• Pachystegia the Marlborough Rock Daisy, from 'pakys' or thick for the thick leaves
• Phormium New Zealand flax, from 'phormoin' or a mat, a reference to the traditional Maori weaving of flax and flax fibres
• Pittosporum for the sticky seeds, as 'pitta' means pitch or tar and 'sporum' seeds
• Plagianthus 'plagios' oblique and 'anthhos' flower for the asymmetrical flowers
• Podocarpus the totara, from 'podos' foot and 'karpos' fruit for the stalked fruit
• Pseudopanax lancewoods and the five-finger, from 'pseudo' false and 'panax' a related genus
R
• richardii for Achille Richard, French botanist
S
• sinclairii Andrew Sinclair an early plant collector
• solandri Daniel Solander botanist on the Cook voyages
• Sophora the kowhai, from 'sophera' the Arabic name for a tree with pea shaped flowers
T
• traversii William Travers early plant collector, lawyer and politician
W
• williamsii for William Williams, Bishop of Waiapu in the nineteenth century
X
• Xeronema Poor Knights Lily, from 'xeros' dry
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