Property:Etymology

String

Usage2264

A

Abelmoschus +

Presumably Arabic habb-el-misk, musk seed, alluding to scented seeds +

Abies +

Latin name of a European fir +

Abietinella +

Latin abietis, of conifer genus Abies, and - ella, diminutive, alluding to habit aspect +

Abildgaardia +

for Peder Chritian Abildgaard, 1740–1801, Danish professor of verterinary medicine +

Abronia +

Greek abros, de licate or graceful +

Abutilon +

probably Arabic abu, father of, and Persian tula or tulha, mallow +

Acaena +

Greek akaina, thorn, alluding to barbed spines arising from wall of hypanthium +

Acalypha +

Greek akalephe, stinging nettle, from a-, without, kalos, good, and haphe, touch, alluding to some species resembling Urtica (though not stinging) +

Acamptopappus +

Greek akamptos, stiff or unbending, and pappus, alluding to thick pappus elements +

Acanthocereus +

Greek akantha, thorn, and Cereus, a genus of cacti +

Acanthoscyphus +

Greek acantha, thorn, and scyphos, cup, alluding to awn on involucre +

Acanthospermum +

Greek acantha, prickle, and sperma, seed, alluding to prickly “fruits” +

Acaulon +

Greek a-, without, and kaulos, stalk or stem, alluding to stemless habit +

Achillea +

for Greek god Achilles, who is supposed to have used the plants to treat his wounds +

Achlys +

Greek Achlus, a god of night +

Achyrachaena +

Greek achyron, scale, and Latin achaenium, fruit, alluding to cypselae +

Achyranthes +

Greek achyron, chaff, and anthos, flower +

Achyronychia +

Greek achuron, chaff, and onyx, onychos, nail or fingernail, alluding to the chaffy sepals +

Acleisanthes +

Greek a, without, cleis, thing that closes, and anthos, flower +, alluding to lack of involucre +

Acmella +

From a Singhalese name for a plant now known as Blainvillea acmella (Linnaeus) Philipson +

Acoelorraphe +

Greek a-, without, coelo, hollow, and raphe, in reference to shape of the seed +

Aconitum +

according to Pliny, the name "aconite" is taken from the ancient Black Sea port Aconis +

Aconogonon +

Greek acon, whetstone, and gone, seed, perhaps alluding to rough seeds +

Acorus +

Latin form of Greek akoron, presumably an ancient plant name +

Acourtia +

For Mrs. A’Court, a British amateur botanist +

Acrocomia +

Greek akron, summit, and kome, hairs of the head, in reference to the high crown of leaves +, akrokomos, with leaves at the top, said especially of palms +

Acroporium +

Greek akros, top, and poros, pore, possibly alluding to tubulose points of branches +

Acroptilon +

Greek akron, tip, and ptilon, feather, describing the pappus bristles +

Acrostichum +

Greek acros, at the end, tip, and stichos, row, referring to the distal spore-bearing pinnae +

Actaea +

Greek, aktea, ancient name for the elder, probably for leaf similarity +

Actinostachys +

Greek aktis, ray, and stachys, spike, referring to the rays of the fertile leaves +

Adelia +

Greek a-, not, and delos, evident, alluding to small, obscure flowers +

Adenocaulon +

Greek aden, gland, and kaulos, stem +

Adenophyllum +

Greek adeno, gland, and phyllon, leaf +

Adenostoma +

Greek a den, gland, and stoma, mouth, alluding to gland at rim of hypanthium +

Adiantum +

Greek adiantos, unwetted, for the glabrous leaves, which shed raindrops +

Adlumia +

For John Adlum, 1759-1836, a horticulturist born in York, Pa., died in Georgetown, D.C. +

Adolphia +

For Adolphe Brongniart, 1801–1876, French botanist and student of Rhamnaceae +

Adonis +

Greek mythology: sprouted from blood of Adonis, lover of Aphrodite, based on the blood red flowers +

Aeonium +

Dioscoridean name for A. arboreum +

Agalinis +

Greek aga-, very or much, and genus Linum, alluding to resemblance of stems and leaves +

Agarista +

Greek mythological daughter of Clisthenes, alluding to beauty of flowers +

Agave +

Greek agave, noble or admirable +

Agdestis +

A mythi-cal hermaphrodite monster, in reference to the original inclusion in Menispermaceae, where it was the only genus with bisexual flowers +

Ageratina +

Generic name Ageratum and Latin - ina, diminutive +

Ageratum +

Greek a, not, and geras, old age, apparently alluding to long-lasting nature of flowers +

Agnorhiza +

Possibly Greek agnostos, unknown, and rhiza, root, alluding to the initially unknown roots +, in protologue of basionym of type species, Greene stated, “Root unknown.” +

Agoseris +

Greek agos, leader, and seris, chicory +, allusion unclear +

Agrimonia +

Greek Argemone from argemos, cataract of eye, alluding to supposed curative properties of plant for eye disease +

Agrostemma +

Greek agros, field, and stemma, crown or wreath, alluding to the flowers’ use in garlands +

Akebia +

Japanese akebi, name for Akebia quinata +

Alcea +

Greek alkea, a kind of mallow +

Alchemilla +

Arabic name alkemelyeh, perhaps alluding to alchemists' interest in reputed marvelous powers of its dew +

Aletris +

Greek aletris, a female slave who ground corn, alluding to the mealy texture of the perianths +

Alisma +

ancient Greek name, adopted by Linnaeus from Dioscorides +

Allenrolfea +

for Robert Allen Rolfe, English botanist, 1855–1921 +

Alliaria +

Genus Allium, garlic or onion, and Latin –aria, connection, alluding to odor of crushed plant +

Allionia +

For C. Allioni, 1725–1804, Italian botanist +

Allium +

Latin, classical name for garlic +

Allotropa +

Greek allos, other or different, and tropos, turn or direction, alluding to inflorescence +

Allowissadula +

Greek allo- , different, and genus Wissadula +

Almutaster +

For Almut G. Jones, b. 1923, American Aster specialist +

Alnus +

Latin alnus, alder +

Aloe +

Arabic alloeh, a name for these or similar plants +

Aloina +

Genus Aloë and Latin -ina, resembling, alluding to fleshy leaves +

Alophia +

Greek a, not, and lophos, crest, referring to the absence of style crests +

Alpinia +

for Italian botanist Prosper Alpinus (1553–1617) +

Alsia +

Anagram of generic name Lasia (now Forsstroemia), alluding to similarity +

Alstroemeria +

for Clas Alströmer, 1736–1794, Swedish naturalist and pupil of Linnaeus +

Alternanthera +

Latin alternans, alternating, and anthera, anther, referring to the alternation of pseudostaminodes and stamens +

Althaea +

For Althaea, wife of King Oeneus of Aetolia or Calydon +

Alvaradoa +

For Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras, ca. 1485 – 1541, member of Cortez’s expedition to Mexico +

Alyssum +

Greek, a-, not or without, and lyssa, rabies or madness +, name used for plants reputed in ancient times as remedy for hydrophobia, cure for madness, and calmative for anger +

Amaranthus +

Greek amarantos, unfading, nonwith ering +

Amauriopsis +

Generic name Amauria, and Greek - opsis, resembling +

Amberboa +

Pre-Linnaean genus name Amberboi Vaillant, cited by Linnaeus in his original publication of Centaurea +

Amblyodon +

Greek amblys, blunt, obtuse, and odon, tooth, alluding to peristome +

Amblyolepis +

Greek ambly, blunt, and lepis, scale +

Amblyopappus +

Greek ambly -, blunt, and pappos, pappus +

Amblystegium +

Greek amblys, blunt, and stege, roof, alluding to obtuse operculum +

Ambrosia +

Greek ambrosia, “food of the gods,” allusion unclear +

Amelanchier +

Old Savoy name for Amelanchier ovalis Medikus +

Amerorchis +

America plus orchis, from the American distribution of this close relative of Eurasian Orchis +

Amianthium +

merged Greek amiantos, unsoiled, and anthos, flower, alluding to the glandless tepals +

Ammannia +

For Paul Ammann, 1634–1691, Professor of Botany at Leipzig +

Amoreuxia +

for Pierre-Joseph Amoreux, 1741 – 1824, French physician and naturalist +

Ampelaster +

Greek ampelos, vine, alluding to habit, and generic name Aster +

Ampelopsis +

Greek ampelos, grapevine, and -opsis, similarity +

Amphiachyris +

Greek amphi -, around, and achyron, chaff or husks, alluding to ring of pappus elements +

Amphidium +

Variant of Amphoridium (nomenclaturally unavailable), diminutive of Greek amphora, flask, alluding to capsule shape +

Amphipappus +

Greek amphi- , double or two, and pappos, pappus alluding to dimorphic pappi, ray cypselae and disc cypselae +

Amphiscirpus +

Greek amphi- , doubtful, ambiguous, and Latin scirpus, bulrush +

Anacamptodon +

Greek ana- , back, kamptos, bent, and odon, tooth, alluding to reflexed exostome teeth +

Anacolia +

Greek ana- , above, and koleos, sheath, alluding to leaf base not sheathing +

Anagallis +

Greek anagalao, to laugh, alluding to fabled power to alleviate sadness +

Anaphalis +

An ancient name or, perhaps, derived from generic name Gnaphalium +

Ancistrocactus +

Greek ankistron, fish hook, referring to hooked centr al spines, and Cactus, an old genus name +

Ancistrocarphus +

Greek ankistros, fishhook, and karphos, chaff, alluding to staminate paleae of type species +

Andreaea +

For J. G. R. Andreae, 1724–1793, apothecary of Hanover, Germany +

Andreaeobryum +

Genus Andreaea and Greek bryon, moss, alluding to anomalous resemblance +

Andromeda +

For Greek mythological daughter of Cepheus and Cassiope, married to Perseus +

Androsace +

Greek, andros, male, and sakos, shield, alluding to anther shape +

Androstephium +

Greek andros, stamen, and stephanos, crown, alluding to the apical appendages of the united filaments +

Anelsonia +

For Aven Nelson, 1859–1952, American botanist who studied the flora of Wyoming and neighboring states +

Anemia +

Greek aneimon, without clothing, referring to the absence of blade protection for the sporangia +

Anemone +

etymology not clear: probably Greek anemos, wind +, possibly from Naaman, Se for Adonis, whose blood, according to myth, produced Anemone coronaria +

Anemopsis +

Greek anemone, the windflower, and opsis, appearance +

Angelonia +

Latin rendering of Venezuelan common name angelon +

Anisocarpus +

Greek anisos, unequal or dissimilar, and karpos, fruit, alluding to contrasting ray (fertile) and disc (sterile) ovaries in type species +

Anisocoma +

Greek anisos, unequal, and coma, hair, alluding to pappus +

Annona +

native Hispaniolan anon or hanon, given to A. muricata +

Anoda +

Ceylonese vernacular name for a species of Abutilon +

Anoectangium +

Greek anoiktos, opened, and angos, container, alluding to wide-mouthed capsule +

Anomobryum +

Greek anomos, lawless or different, and bryon, moss, alluding to somewhat hypnaceous distal laminal cells +

Anomodon +

Greek, anomalos, abnormal, and odon, tooth, alluding to reduced peristome +

Anredera +

for Anreder, about whom nothing else is known +

Antennaria +

Latin antenna, and aria, connection to or possession of, alluding to similarity of clavate pappus bristles in staminate florets to antennae of some insects +

Anthemis +

Greek anthemon, flower +

Antigonon +

etymology uncertain +, perhaps Greek anti- , against, and gony, knee, alluding to angled stems, or Greek anti- , in place of, and genus Polygonum, alluding to affinity +

Antirrhinum +

Greek anti, like or resembling, and rhinos, nose, alluding to shape of corolla +

Antitrichia +

Greek anti, opposite, and thrix, hair, alluding to endostome segments opposite exostome teeth +

Anulocaulis +

Latin anulus, ring, and caule, stem, in reference to the sticky internodal rings +

Aongstroemia +

For Johan Ångström, 1813–1879, Swedish bryologist +

Apacheria +

For Apache Indians +

Aphanes +

Greek aphanes, unseen, invisible, alluding to inconspicuous nature of plants and/or flowers +

Aphanisma +

Greek aphanes, obscure or inconspicuous +

Aphanorrhegma +

Greek, aphanes, invisible,and rhegma, fracture, alluding to inconspicuous line of capsule dehiscence +

Aphanostephus +

Greek aphanes, obscure, and stephanos, crown, apparently alluding to low coronal pappus of some species +

Aphragmus +

Greek a-, not or without, and phragma, septum, alluding to its lack in fruit of some species +

Aplectrum +

Greek a, without, and plectron, spur +

Aplodon +

Greek haplo- , single, and odon, tooth, alluding to single layer of peristome teeth +

Apodanthera +

Greek a- , without, podos, foot, and anthera, anther, alluding to sessile anthers +

Aponogeton +

Greek, from aquatic habitat +

Aptenia +

Greek a- , not, and pt enos, winged, in reference to the lack of wings on the capsules +

Apteria +

Greek a, without, and pteron, wing +

Aquilegia +

derivation disputed +, possibly Greek aqua, water, and legere, to draw or collect, because of the wet habitat of some species or quantity of liquid nectar borne in spurs, or Latin aquila, eagle, because of similarity in shape of curved spurs of some European species to an eagle's talons +

Arabidopsis +

Genus Arabis and Greek opsis, resembling +

Arabis +

Latin Arabia +

Arachniodes +

Greek arachnion, spider's web, and -odes, having the form or nature of +, it has been suggested that Blume saw fungal hyphae or spider webs on his original material +

Arbutus +

Classical Latin name for European strawberry tree, A. unedo Linnaeus +

Arceuthobium +

Greek arceuthos, juniper, and bios, life, alluding to A. oxycedri, which parasitizes that host +

Archidium +

Greek arche, primitive form or nature, alluding to small, simple plants and cleistocarpous capsule +

Arctanthemum +

Greek arktos, northern, and anthemon, flower, alluding to arctic range +

Arctium +

Greek arktion, from arktos, bear, perhaps alluding to rough involucre +

Arctoa +

Greek arktos, bear, alluding to an arctic or northern distribution +

Arctomecon +

Greek arktos, bear, alluding to the long-pilose pubescence, and mekon, poppy +

Arctostaphylos +

Greek arktos, bear, and staphyle, bunch of grapes, alluding to common name for A. uva-ursi +

Arctotheca +

Greek arktos, brown bear, and theke, case, capsule, container, alluding to dense, woolly tomentum of cypselae of some species +

Arctotis +

Greek arktos, brown bear, and ous, otos, ear, perhaps alluding to shape of pappus scales +

Arctous +

Greek arktous, northern, alluding to distribution +

Ardisia +

Greek ardis, point of arrow or spear, alluding to anthers and/or corolla lobes +

Arenaria +

Latin arena, sand, a common habitat +

Arethusa +

Greek Arethusa, mythical river nymph +

Argemone +

a poppylike herb mentioned by Pliny +

Argyranthemum +

Greek argyros, silver, and anthemon, flower +, allusion unclear +

Argyrochosma +

Greek argyros, silver, and chosma, powder, referring to whitish farina covering the abaxial surface of leaf blades in most species +

Argythamnia +

Greek argyros, silver-white, and thamnos, shrub, alluding to trunk and branches covered with whitish bark +

Arida +

Latin aridus, dry, alluding to xeric habitat typical of members +

Ariocarpus +

The genus Aria and Greek karpos, fruit, referring to the Aria -like fruit +

Arisaema +

Greek aris, plant name used by Pliny, and haima, blood, in reference to the red-spotted leaves of some species +

Aristocapsa +

Latin arista, awn, and capsa, box, alluding to awned involucres +

Aristolochia +

Greek aristolocheia, birthwort, from aristos, best, and lochia, delivery, in reference to ancient use of herb as aid in childbirth +

Arivela +

Origin obscure +

Armeria +

Celtic ar mor, at seaside, alluding to habitat +

Armoracia +

Ancient Greek name for horseradish, or perhaps Celtic ar, near, mor, sea, and rich, against, alluding to habitat +

Arnica +

Ancient Latin or Greek plant name +

Arnoglossum +

Greek arnos, lamb, and glossum, tongue +, ancient name for some species of Plantago +

Arnoseris +

Greek arnos, sheep, and seris, a kind of endive +, allusion unclear +

Aronia +

Greek Aria, name for whitebeam (formerly a species of Sorbus), alluding to resemblance to chokeberry fruit +

Arrhenopterum +

Greek, arrhen, strong, and pteron, feather or wing, possibly alluding to featherlike evenness of leaf arrangement +

Artemisia +

Greek Artemis, goddess of the hunt and namesake of Artemisia, Queen of Anatolia +

Arthrocnemum +

Greek arthro- , jointed, and cneme, leg, between knee and ankle, internode, referring to the jointed appearance of the branches +

Aruncus +

Greek arunkos, goat’s beard, alluding to showy fingerlike clusters forming feathery flowers +

Asanthus +

Asa, honoring American botanist Asa Gray, 1810–1888, and Greek anthos, flower +

Asarum +

Ancient Greek asaron, name of an unknown plant +

Aschisma +

Greek, a-, not or without, and schisma, split, alluding to indehiscent capsule +

Asemeia +

Greek a, absence, and semion, sign or flag, alluding to distinctness from Polygala in absence of vexillum +

Asimina +

American Indian assimin through French asiminier +

Asparagus +

Greek asparasso, to rip, alluding to the spiny leaves of some species +

Asphodelus +

Greek asphodelos, flower of Hades and the dead +

Aspicarpa +

Greek aspis, shield, and karpos, fruit, alluding to shape of nutlet of A. hirtella in abaxial view +

Aspidotis +

Greek aspidotes, shield-bearer, for the shieldlike false indusia +

Asplenium +

Greek splen, spleen +, thought by Dioscorides to be useful for treating spleen diseases +

Aster +

Latin aster, star, alluding to heads as seen from above +

Astilbe +

Greek a-, without, and stilbo, sheen, alluding to foliage otherwise resembling that of Aruncus +

Astraea +

For Greek mythological Astraea (star maiden), daughter of Zeus and Themis +

Astranthium +

Greek astron, star, and anthos, flower, alluding to head as seen from above +

Astrolepis +

Greek astro, star, and lepis, scale, in reference to the starlike scales on the adaxial blade surface +

Astrophytum +

Greek asteros, star, in reference to the star-shaped stem cross section of the type species, and phyton, plant +

Atamisquea +

For Atamisco region of Chile +

Athyrium +

Greek athyros, doorless +, the sporangia only tardily push back the outer edge of the indusium +

Athysanus +

Greek a- , without, and thysanos, fringe, alluding to fruit margin +

Atrichoseris +

Greek a- , without, trichos, hair, and seris, chicory, alluding to lack of pappus +

Atrichum +

Greek a-, without, and trichos, hair, alluding to calyptra +

Atriplex +

ancient Latin name +

Aubrieta +

For Claude Aubriet, 1663–1743, French artist +

Aucuba +

Latinized Japanese name aokiba +

Aulacomnium +

Greek aulax, furrow, and mnion, moss, alluding to sulcate capsules +

Aureolaria +

Latin aureolus, golden, and -arius, possession, alluding to corolla +

Aurinia +

Latin aurum, gold, and -inia, colored, alluding to flower +

Axyris +

Greek axyros (a, not, and xyrios, razor), blunt, not cutting, in reference to the mild taste +

Ayenia +

For Louis de Noailles, 1713 – 1793, first Duc d’Ayen +

Azolla +

Greek azo, to dry, and ollyo, to kill, alluding to death from drought +

B

Baccharis +

For Roman god Bacchus, allusion obscure, perhaps used originally for different plant +

Bacopa +

Aboriginal name in French Guiana +

Bahia +

For J. F. Bahí, 1775–1841, professor of botany at Barcelona +

Bahiopsis +

Generic name Bahia and Greek - opsis, resembling +

Baileya +

For Jacob Whitman Bailey, 1811–1857, researcher of diatomaceous algae at the U.S. Military Academy +

Balduina +

For William Baldwin, 1779–1819, American botanist +

Balsamorhiza +

Greek balsamon, a fragrant gum, and rhiza, root +, alluding to resiniferous rootstocks +

Barbarea +

For Saint Barbara, fourth-century, or perhaps alluding to being the only plants available for food on Saint Barbara’s Day (4 December) +

Barbella +

Latin barba, beard, and - ella, diminutive, alluding to pendent secondary stems +

Barbula +

Latin barba, beard, and -ula, diminutive, alluding to peristome +

Barkleyanthus +

For Theodore M. Barkley, 1934–2004, North American botanist +

Bartlettia +

For John Russell Bartlett, 1805–1886, United States Commissioner of the U.S.-Mexico Boundary Survey +

Bartramia +

For John Bartram, 1699 – 1777, Pennsylvania botanist, horticulturist, and explorer +

Bartramiopsis +

Genus Bartramia and Greek -opsis, resembling +

Bartsia +

For Johann Bartsch, 1709–1738, German physician +

Basiphyllaea +

Greek basis, base, and phyllon, leaf, referring to the single basal leaf +

Bassia +

For F. Bassi, 1710–1774, Italian naturalist +

Bastardia +

For Toussaint Bastard, 1784 – 1846, French botanist +

Batesimalva +

For David M. Bates, b. 1935 American botanist, and Latin malva, mallow +

Batis +

probably from Greek via Latin for another coastal plant, or possibly Greek batos, bramble +

Bebbia +

For Michael S. Bebb, 1833–1895, American botanist and willow specialist +

Begonia +

For Michel Bégon, 1638 – 1710 French governor of Haiti and patron of botany +

Bejaria +

For José Béjar, eighteenth-century professor of surgery at Cádiz, Spain +

Belamcanda +

apparently based on a vernacular name in western India +

Bellardia +

For Carlo Antonio Lodovico Bellardi, 1741–1826, professor of botany at University of Turin +

Bellibarbula +

Latin bellus, beautiful, and genus Barbula +

Bellis +

Latin bellus, pretty +

Beloglottis +

Greek (Latinized) belos, arrow, and glotta, tongue, possibly alluding to sagittate lip +

Benitoa +

For San Benito County, California, alluding to distribution +

Bensoniella +

For Gilbert Thereon Benson, 1896–1928, Stanford University botanist +

Berberis +

Mediaeval Latin barbaris +

Berchemia +

For Jacob Pierre Berthoud van Berchem, eighteenth-century Dutch mineralogist and naturalist +

Bergerocactus +

for Alwin Berger, 1871–1931, German cactologist and horticulturist at La Mortola, Italy, and Cactus, an old genus name +

Bergia +

For Peter J. Bergius, 1730–1790, Swedish botanist and physician, student of Linnaeus +

Berlandiera +

For Jean Louis Berlandier, 1805–1851, Belgian explorer in North America +

Bernardia +

Probably for Bernard de Jussieu, 1699–1777, French botanist +

Berteroa +

For Carlo Giuseppe Bertero, 1789–1831, Italian physician and botanist who settled in Chile +

Bestia +

For George Newton Best, 1846 – 1926 American bryologist +

Beta +

derivation uncertain, possibly from Celtic name for red root +

Betula +

Latin betula, birch +

Bidens +

Latin bis, two, and dens, tooth, alluding to 2-awned pappi of the original species +

Bigelowia +

For Jacob Bigelow, 1787–1879, Massachusetts medical and botanical scholar +

Billieturnera +

For Billie Lee Turner, b. 1925, American botanist +

Bischofia +

For Gottleib Wilhelm T. G. Bischoff, 1797–1854, German botanist +

Bistorta +

Latin, bi -, twice, and tortus, twisted, alluding to the rhizomes of some species +

Blechnum +

Greek blechnon, an ancient name for ferns in general +

Blennosperma +

Greek blennos, mucus, and sperma, seed, alluding to cypselae becoming mucilaginous when wetted +