COMMON AND LATIN NAMES OF IMPORTANT PLANT TAXA LATIN NAME* COMMON NAME Abies Fir Acer Maple Acer negundo Box elder Aesculus Buckeye; Horse Chestnut Alnus Alder Ambrosia Ragweed Apiaceae [Umbelliferae] Carrot or parsley family Artemisia Sagebrush; sage; wormwood Asteraceae [Compositae] Aster or Sunflower Family Betula Birch Boraginaceae Borage family Brassicaceae [Cruciferae} Mustard family Caryophyllaceae Pinks Castanea Chestnut Compositae (Asteraceae) Aster or Sunflower family Cornus Dogwood Corylus Filbert; hazelnut Cruciferae (Brassicaceae) Mustard family Cupressaceae Junipers, cypresses, "cedars", others Cyperaceae Sedge family Ericaceae Heath family Fabaceae [Leguminosae] Pea family Fagus Beech Fraxinus Ash Gramineae (Poaceae) Grass family Juglans Walnut; butternut Labiatae (Lamiaceae) Mint family Larix Larch; tamarack Leguminosae (Fabaceae) Pea family Liliaceae Lily family Liriodendron Tulip tree or yellow poplar Nuphar Water lily Onagraceae Evening primrose family Papaveraceae Poppy family Picea Spruce Pinus Pine Plantago Plantain Poaceae [Gramineae] Grass family Polemonium Jacob's ladder Polygonaceae Buckwheat family Populus Poplar; cottonwood; aspen Potamogeton Pondweed Primulaceae Primrose family Quercus Oak Ranunculaceae Buttercup family Rosaceae Rose family Rhus sumac, incl. poison ivy, etc. Salix Willow Saxifragaceae Saxifrage family Scrophulariaceae Snapdragon family Sparganium Bur reed Thalictrum Meadow rue Tilia Linden or basswood Tsuga Hemlock Typha Cattail Ulmus Elm Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) Carrot or parsley family * Names of genera are always italicized; family names are given in Roman characters. All proper plant family name ends in -aceae; family names above that don't have this ending are old names, and the proper modern name is included in parentheses. .