Property:Etymology

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Cochlearia +
Latin cochlear, spoon, alluding to leaf shape of some species  +
Cocos +
derivation of name uncertain  +
Codriophorus +
Distorted Greek kodon, bell, and phoras, bearing, alluding to capsules with bell-shaped calyptrae  +
Coeloglossum +
Greek koilos, hollow, and glossa, tongue  +
Coelophragmus +
Greek kilos (Latin coelus), hollow, and phragmos, partition, alluding to deep pits on sides of fruit septum where seeds are located  +
Coincya +
For Auguste Henri Cornut de Coincy, 1837–1903, Spanish botanist, discoverer of first species described  +
Coleogyne +
Greek koleos, sheath, and gyne, female, alluding to thin staminal tubelike sheath surrounding ovary and style  +
Collinsia +
For Zaccheus Collins, 1764–1831, Philadelphia botanist  +
Colocasia +
classical Greek name derived from an old Middle Eastern name colcas or culcas  +
Colubrina +
Latin coluber, racer snake, perhaps alluding to twisting of deep furrows on stems of some species  +
Columbiadoria +
Columbia (River), and doria, an early name for goldenrods  +
Comandra +
Greek kome, hair, and andros, male, alluding to petal hairs that attach to anthers  +
Comarostaphylis +
Greek komaros, arbutus, and staphyle, cluster of grapes, alluding to resemblance of fruit clusters to those of Arbutus unedo  +
Comarum +
Greek komaros, strawberry-tree (Arbutus unedo Linnaeus), alluding to similarity of fruit  +
Combretum +
Latin, derived from a name applied by Pliny the Elder to a climbing plant of uncertain identity  +
Commelina +
for the two Dutch botanists Jan and Kaspar Commelijn, because of the two showy petals  +
Commicarpus +
Greek kommi, gum, and carpos, fruit, in reference to gummy-glandular fruit  +
Comptonia +
for Henry Compton, amateur horticulturist and Bishop of London  +
Conardia +
For Henry Shoemaker Conard, 1874–1971, bryologist of Grinnell College, Iowa  +
Condalia +
For Antonio Condal, 1745–1804, Spanish physician who accompanied Peter Loefling on a journey up the Orinoco River  +
Conicosia +
Greek konikos, cone-shaped, in reference to the capsule  +
Conimitella +
Latin conus, cone, and genus Mitella, alluding to hypanthium shape and general resemblance  +
Conocarpus +
Greek konos, cone, and karpos, fruit, alluding to shape of densely clustered fruits  +
Conoclinium +
Greek konos, cone, and kline, bed, alluding to conic receptacles  +
Conopholis +
Greek conos, cone, and pholis, scale, alluding to conelike inflorescences  +
Conostomum +
Greek konos, cone, and stoma, opening, alluding to operculum  +
Conringia +
For Hermann Conring, 1606–1681, German professor of medicine and philosophy at Helmstedt  +
Consolea +
For Michelangelo Console, 1812–1897, of Palermo Botanic Garden, Italy  +
Consolida +
Latin consolidatus, to become solid or firm, from reputed ability to heal wounds  +
Constancea +
For Lincoln Constance, 1909–2001, Californian botanist  +
Convallaria +
Latin convallis, valley  +
Conyza +
Ancient name for fleabane  +, perhaps from Greek konops, flea, or konis, dust, alluding to powdered dry plant being used to repel insects  +
Coptis +
Greek, kopto, to cut, referring to dissected leaves  +
Corallorhiza +
Greek korallion, coral, and rhiza, root, referring to coral-like appearance of branching, underground rhizome  +
Corchorus +
Greek kore, eye pupil, and koreo, to purge or clear, alluding to use of leaves  +
Cordylanthus +
Greek kordyle, club, and anthos, flower, alluding to somewhat clavate corolla  +
Corema +
Greek, korema, broom, alluding to growth form  +
Coreocarpus +
Greek koreos, bug, and karpos, fruit, alluding to pectinately winged cypselae of original species  +
Coreopsis +
Greek korios, bedbug, and -opsis, resembling, alluding to cypselae of original species  +
Corethrogyne +
Greek korethron, broom, and gyne, female, alluding to style-branch appendages  +
Corispermum +
Greek coris, bug, and spermum, seed  +
Cornus +
Latin cornu, horn, alluding to the hard wood  +
Corrigiola +
Latin corrigia, shoelace, perhaps alluding to the slender stems  +
Corydalis +
Greek korydallis, crested lark  +
Corylus +
Latin corylus, hazel, from Greek korus, helmet, for shape and hardness of nut shells  +
Coryphantha +
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  +
Coscinodon +
Greek koskinon, sieve, and odon, tooth, alluding to peristome  +
Cosmos +
Greek kosmos, harmoniously ordered universe, or kosmo, ornament  +
Cota +
Possibly from pre-Linnaean generic name used as epithet in Anthemis cota Linnaeus  +
Cotoneaster +
Latin cotoneum, quince, and - aster, incomplete resemblance, alluding to similarity of leaves in some species  +
Cottsia +
Based on an anagram of Scott  +, for George Francis Scott Elliot, 1862–1934, Scottish botanist  +
Cotula +
Greek kotule, small cup  +
Cotyledon +
Greek kotyledon, a cup-shaped hollow, alluding to leaf form of a plant now placed in Umbilicus  +
Crambe +
Greek krambe, cabbage  +
Cranichis +
Greek kranos, helmet, for helmetlike appearance of lip  +
Crassula +
ula, diminutive, alluding to leaves  +
Crataegus +
Greek Krataigon, thorn, from Greek kratos, strength, and akis, sharp tip, alluding to thorns of some species  +
Cratoneuron +
Greek cratos, strong, and neuron, nerve, alluding to leaf costa  +
Crepis +
Greek krepis, slipper or sandal, possibly alluding to shape of cypselae, a name of a plant in writings by Theophrastus  +
Crinum +
Greek krinon, a lily  +
Crocanthemum +
Greek krokos, saffron, and anthemon, flower, alluding to petal color  +
Crocidium +
Greek krokis, downy fibers of woolen cloth, and - idium, diminutive, alluding to axillary tomentum  +
Crocosmia +
Greek krokos, crocus, and osme, scent, because the dried flowers boiled in water smell like the spice saffron obtained from that plant  +
Croomia +
For Hardy B. Croom, 1797–1837, the discoverer  +
Croptilon +
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  +
Crossidium +
Greek krossos, fringe or tassel, and -idion, diminutive, alluding to tassel-like fringe on adaxial surface of costa  +
Crossopetalum +
Greek krossos, fringe, and petalon, petal, alluding to fimbriate petals of the type species  +
Crossosoma +
Greek krossos, fringe or tassel, and soma, body, alluding to aril  +
Croton +
Greek kroton, tick, alluding to resemblance of seeds  +
Crumia +
For H. A. Crum, 1922–2002, American bryologist  +
Crupina +
Pre-Linnaean generic name of unknown derivation  +
Cryphaea +
Greek kryphos, concealment, alluding to immersed sporophytes  +
Cryptogramma +
Greek cryptos, hidden, and gramme, line, referring to the ± marginal soral bands hidden by revolute margins  +
Ctenidium +
Greek ktenos, comb, and -idium, diminutive, alluding to branching pattern  +
Ctenitis +
Greek kteis, comb  +
Ctenolepis +
Greek ktenos, comb, and lepis, scale, apparently alluding to stiffly spreading cilia on margins of stipules  +
Cucumis +
Latin name for cucumber  +
Cuniculotinus +
Latin cuniculus, rabbit, and tinus, shrub, thus rabbit brush, commonly used name for species of Chrysothamnus in the broad sense  +
Cuphea +
Greek kyphos, humped, alluding to protruding base of floral tube  +
Cupressus +
Latin name of C. sempervirens  +
Curcuma +
the name in some East Indian language  +
Cusickiella +
For William C. Cusick, 1842–1922, Oregon plant collector  +
Cyanthillium +
Origin uncertain  +, probably Greek cyanos, blue, and anthyllion, little flower, alluding to corollas  +
Cyclachaena +
Greek cyclo -, circular, and Latin achenium, achene  +, allusion uncertain, perhaps to the ring of cypselae in each fruiting head  +
Cyclanthera +
Greek kyklos, circle, and antheros, blooming, alluding to single, ringlike stamen  +
Cyclodictyon +
Greek kyklos, circle, and diktyon, net, alluding to large laminal cells  +
Cycloloma +
Greek cyclos, ring, circle, and loma, border  +
Cyclopogon +
Greek cyclo, circular, and pogon, beard, perhaps in reference to pubescent bases of sepals of the type species  +
Cydonia +
Greek Kydonia, alluding to nativity in Kydon, ancient city-state in Crete  +
Cylindropuntia +
Latin cylindrus, cylinder, and Opuntia, the genus from which this segregate was removed  +
Cymbalaria +
Latin cymbalum, rounded, concave, and -aria, resemblance, alluding to leaf shape  +
Cymophyllus +
Greek kyma, wave, and phyll, leaf, in reference to the undulate-margined leaves  +
Cynara +
Greek kynara, artichoke  +
Cynodontium +
Greek kynos, dog, odon, tooth, and -ium, diminutive, alluding to peristome  +
Cynophalla +
Greek kynos, dog, and phallos, penis, alluding to brilliant red color inside rupturing fruits, which reminded early botanists of a dog’s penis  +
Cyperus +
Greek kupeiros, name for Eurasian Cyperus longus Linnaeus  +
Cyphomeris +
Greek, kyphos, bent, humped, and meris, part, in reference to the gibbous fruit  +
Cypripedium +
Greek Kypris, Aphrodite, and Latin pes, foot, perhaps an orthographic error for Greek pedilon, slipper  +
Cypselea +
Greek kypsele, a hollow box or chest, such as a beehive, which the capsule is thought to resemble  +
Cyrilla +
For Dominico Cirillo, 1739–1799, Italian physician and professor of natural history, University of Naples  +