NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN FOR JUNE 20, 2015

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UNDERSTANDING LATIN NAMES FOR PLANTS PART #2

BY GEORGE EDGAR

 

When I write about pesticides I try to list the active ingredient as well as the brand name. Do you know there are 10 different formulations of Round-Up with the active ingredient of “glysophate”?  They are labeled Round-Up but at different strengths and some have other chemicals with them. There are also other brands with “glysophate” as the active ingredient such as Kleenup, Ferti-lome, and Ortho. The point is, read the label; use the active ingredient name to make sure you get the right product, with the right concentration you want. With plants, use the scientific name to make sure you have the right plant, and then put it in the right place.

          Many of you, like me, have not taken a class in Latin. With frequent use and repetition, however, the names do eventually sink in. If you keep the tag that comes with your new plant, or tree, or shrub, or the package of seeds, you can learn the scientific name and be able to get exactly the same plant or seed next year, even if you are in Vermont, or Texas, or Oregon, or Nebraska. Also, if you order by catalog or the internet, using the scientific name you will be assured of getting the seeds or plant you really want.

          In part #1, I shared the history of the use of Latin names for plants. Today I want to share the meaning of some common Latin words that can help you know more about your plants, trees, and shrubs. This list was prepared by Dr. Cindy Haynes, Department of Horticulture, and Iowa State University and reprinted by permission from “Horticulture and Home Pest News”, Iowa State University, July 23, 1999.

 

 

Colors

alba

White

ater

Black

aurea

Chartreuse

azur

Blue

caeruleus

Blue

chrysus

Yellow

coccineus

Scarlet

ebenus

Ebony

eburneus

Ivory

erythro

Red

ferrugineus

Rusty

flava

Yellow

gala

Milky

haema

Blood red

lacteus

Milky

leuc

White

lividus

Blue-gray

luridus

Pale yellow

luteus

Yellow

nigra

Black/dark

puniceus

Red-purple

purpureus

Purple

rosea

Rose

rubra

Red

sulphureus

Yellow

vireos

Green

           

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more information see:

Dictionary of Plant Names: The pronunciation, derivation, and                 meaning of           botanical names and their common-name equivalents by Allen J. Coombes, Timber Press, Inc.  

Gardener's Latin by Bill Neal, Algonquin Books.

How Plants Get Their Names by L.H. Bailey, Dover Publications.

 Copyright 2015