Latin for Gardeners: Over 3,000 Plant Names Explained and Explored
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L ATIN for GARDENERS ACANTHUS bear’s breeches Lorraine Harrison is the author of several books, including Inspiring Sussex Gardeners, The Shaker Book of the Garden, How to Read Gardens, and A Potted History of Vegetables: A Kitchen Cornucopia. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 © 2012 Quid Publishing Conceived, designed and produced by Quid Publishing Level 4, Sheridan House 114 Western Road Hove BN3 1DD England Designed by Lindsey Johns All rights reserved. Published 2012. Printed in China 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 1 2 3 4 5 ISBN-13: 978-0-226-00919-3 (cloth) ISBN-13: 978-0-226-00922-3 (e-book) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Harrison, Lorraine. Latin for gardeners : over 3,000 plant names explained and explored / Lorraine Harrison. pages ; cm ISBN 978-0-226-00919-3 (cloth : alkaline paper) — ISBN (invalid) 978-0-226-00922-3 (e-book) 1. Latin language—Etymology—Names—Dictionaries. 2. Latin language—Technical Latin—Dictionaries. 3. Plants—Nomenclature—Dictionaries—Latin. 4. Plants—History. I. Title. PA2387.H37 2012 580.1’4—dc23 2012020837 ∞ This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). L ATIN for GARDENERS Over 3,000 Plant Names Explained and Explored LORRAINE HARRISON The University of Chicago Press Contents Preface 6 How to Use This Book 8 A Short History of Botanical Latin 9 Jasminum, Botanical Latin for Beginners 10 jasmine (p. 116) An Introduction to the A–Z Listings 13 THE A-Z LISTINGS OF LatIN PlaNT NAMES A from a- to azureus 14 B from babylonicus to byzantinus 37 C from cacaliifolius to cytisoides 45 D from dactyliferus to dyerianum 69 E from e- to eyriesii 79 F from fabaceus to futilis 85 G from gaditanus to gymnocarpus 94 H from haastii to hystrix 102 I from ibericus to ixocarpus 109 J from jacobaeus to juvenilis 115 K from kamtschaticus to kurdicus 117 L from labiatus to lysimachioides 118 Tropaeolum majus, M from macedonicus to myrtifolius 129 nasturtium (p. 207) N from nanellus to nymphoides 141 O from obconicus to oxyphyllus 146 P from pachy- to pyriformis 150 Eryngium maritimum, sea holly (p. 82) Q from quadr- to quinquevulnerus 173 R from racemiflorus to rutilans 175 S from sabatius to szechuanicus 181 T from tabularis to typhinus 200 U from ulicinus to uvaria 208 V from vacciniifolius to vulgatus 212 W from wagnerii to wulfenii 218 X from xanth- to xantholeucus 220 Y from yakushimanus to yunnanensis 220 Z from zabeliana to zonatus 221 4 PlaNT PROFILES Sir Joseph Banks, 1743–1820 (p. 40) Acanthus 15 Achillea 16 Alyssum 23 Digitalis 76 Eryngium 82 Eucalyptus 84 Foeniculum 91 PlaNT HUNTERS Geranium 95 Helianthus 103 Baron Alexander von Humboldt 26 Jasminum 116 Sir Joseph Banks 40 Lycopersicon 128 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark 54 Parthenocissus 153 Francis Masson and Carl Peter Thunberg 72 Passiflora 154 John Bartram and William Bartram 98 Plumbago 163 David Douglas 110 Pulmonaria 171 Carl Linnaeus 132 Quercus 174 Jane Colden and Marianne North 158 Sempervivum 188 Sir Joseph Hooker 182 Streptocarpus 195 André Michaux and François Michaux 210 Tropaeolum 207 Vaccinium 213 PlaNT THEMES Where Plants Come From 32 Pelargonium, Plants: Their Shape and Form 64 pelargonium (p. 95) The Color of Plants 86 The Qualities of Plants 120 Plants: Their Fragrance and Taste 144 Numbers and Plants 166 Plants and Animals 198 Glossary 222 Bibliography 223 Credits 224 5 Preface hen confronted with the complexities of tall. Think of the frustration avoided when planting a Wbotanical Latin many highly accomplished sunny bed if only one knew beforehand that gardeners shrug, sigh and seek solace in Shakespeare. noctiflorus flowers only open at night, and yet what Just like Juliet they ask “What’s in a name? That helpful information to have if planning a garden which we call a rose / By any other name would smell primarily to be used in the evening. as sweet.” Unfortunately, the subject cannot be The 18th-century botanist Carl Linnaeus dismissed quite that lightly. Doubtless the horticul- introduced his simplified system of naming plants tural know-how of any self-respecting gardener at a time when it was vital that physicians and would never let them mistake a dog rose (Rosa herbalists could accurately identify and name plants, canina) for a rock rose (Cistus ladanifer), or a as these were the main source of medicine. Latin was guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) for a Lenten rose the universal language of scholars and scientists, and (Helleborus orientalis). Only one of these very it is Linnaeus’ binomial, or two-word, system that diverse plants bears any resemblance to Juliet’s still forms the basis of the botanical Latin used by sweet-smelling rose, that which we commonly call gardeners today. Thanks to Linnaeus and his the dog rose. The clue, of course, is in the Latin name colleagues, a modern-day gardener in San Francisco which helpfully tells us it belongs to the genus Rosa, can email a horticulturist in Hong Kong about of the Rosaceae family, while canina pertains to dogs. Chenopodium bonus-henricus and know they are It is easy to understand why many of us fall for both discussing exactly the same plant. Could the the poetry and charm of common names. Who can same be said if their discussion relied on using one resist the romance of flowers with names like or more of its many common names that include love-lies-bleeding, forget-me-not, or love-in-a mist? goosefoot, shoemaker’s heels, or spearwort? (Although these pretty names can lead the gardener Far from being an esoteric or archaic language, up the proverbial garden path as, for instance, when used appropriately botanical Latin can become the latter beauty also answers to the name devil-in- a practical tool for creating a beautiful, the-bush.) And after all, these florid appellations productive, and thriving garden that is are so much easier to remember, and certainly to quite as useful as a sharp pair of secateurs pronounce, than Amaranthus caudatus, or a well-made trowel. Aided by this Myosotis sylvatica, and Nigella damascena. book, the gardener can now However poetic-sounding common answer the question “What’s names may be, they often tell us nothing in a name?” and they and their about about the origin of a plant, or garden will benefit from understanding important things like its form, color, the wealth of information that has and size. When selecting plants it is hitherto lain hidden within the useful to know that those with mysterious world of Latin names. repens in their name are low- growing or creeping, unlike those Camellia × williamsii ‘Citation’, called columnaris which shoot up (p. 219) 6 Lathyrus odoratus, sweet pea (p. 145) How to Use This Book AlpHABETIcal LISTINGS PlaNT PROFILE paGES Latin terms appear alphabetically throughout Throughout the book, feature pages focus on for easy reference. For a more detailed a particular plant, highlighting interesting explanation see the Introduction to the and often entertaining Latin names, along A–Z Listings on page 13. with their derivations and sometimes surprising associations. The masculine form of the word always appears first, followed by the feminine (this is sometimes unchanged from the masculine) A guide to pronunciation and then the neuter. In some is provided and capital cases, the epithet is the same for letters indicate where the all three genders. emphasis should fall. ab-bree-vee-AH-tus ACANTHUS abbreviatus bear’s breeches abbreviata, abbreviatum Shortened; abbreviated, as in Buddleja abbreviata When appropriate, an example is given of a plant name which features the Latin term. LatIN IN actION Illustrated feature boxes reveal some of the hidden knowledge that can be derived from a plant’s Latin name along with habitat information and useful cultivation tips. PlaNT HUNTERS PlaNT THEMES Read the stories of the men and In these pages, Latin plant names are looked women whose intrepid journeys at thematically with such areas as the origin, resulted in the plant collections and color, form, and fragrance of plants covered. introductions that have so shaped the We also discover how plant names can often way our gardens look today. relate to numbers and to animals. 8 A Short History of Botanical Latin he botanical Latin that scientists use today is (ICBN), published in 1952, and revised several times Tquite distinct from the Latin of classical authors. since. This sets forth the principles by which plant It draws heavily on Greek and other languages, and names are formed and established; all major botanical uses many words that would have seemed barbarous to journals and institutions abide by its rules and Roman writers on plants such as Pliny the Elder recommendations. (23–79CE). Although its origins lie in the descriptive In view of which, it may seem strange that plant language used by those early botanists, it has developed names are subject to so many changes. Gardeners may into a specialized technical dialect, much simpler than feel particularly aggrieved to have to learn a new classical Latin, but with a vocabulary that continues to name, when the old one seemed to do the job expand to meet changing scientific requirements. perfectly well. Unfortunately, botanists do not always Until well into the 18th century, Latin was the agree on the relationship of one plant to another, and language of international scholarship. It was therefore where conflicting classifications arise, changes of name natural that botanists should use Latin in preference to may be the consequence. For instance, once evidence vernacular plant names, which varied from language to emerged that the genera Cimicifuga and Actaea were language and region to region.