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Posts from Forest Garden Wales Blog for 11/13/2019

November 13, 2019

By [email protected] (Jake Rayson) on Nov 12, 2019 10:25 am

Handy reference for finding out what scientific plant names mean, via The Seed Site

The Seed Site has a great list of the meaning of Latin plant names. I’m putting the list here as well, in case the original site ever goes offline.

  • abyssinica = from Abysinnia (Ethiopia) (North Africa)

  • acaulis = stemless

  • aestivalis = flowering in spring

  • alba = white

  • alpestris = from mountains

  • alpicola = from mountains

  • alpina = from the alps

  • altissima = tallest

  • america = from America

  • angustifolia = narrow-leaved

  • annua = annual

  • -antha = -flowered (e.g. micrantha = small-flowered)

  • arboricola = living on trees

  • arctica = from the arctic

  • arenaria = from sandy places

  • argentea = silvery

  • armata = prickly

  • arvensis = of the field

  • aurantiaca = orange

  • aurea = golden, yellow

  • australis = from the south (not necessarily Australia)

  • autumnalis = of autumn

  • azurea = blue

  • barbata = bearded, hairy

  • bellidifolia = with leaves like those of a daisy

  • borealis = from the north

  • bulbifera = bearing bulbs

  • bulgarica = from Bulgaria

  • caerulea = blue

  • caespitosa = dense

  • campanulata = campanulate, like a bell

  • campestris = of the field

  • canadensis = from Canada

  • canariensis = from the Canary Isles

  • capensis = from the Cape, South Africa

  • chilensis = from Chile

  • chinensis = from China

  • chrysantha = yellow

  • clivora = from the hills

  • coccinea = red

  • compacta = compact

  • decidua = deciduous

  • densiflora = dense-flowered

  • digitata = (leaves) like a hand, with five lobes

  • edulis = edible

  • esculenta = edible

  • farinosa = floury, powdery

  • ficifolia = like a fig leaf

  • flava = yellow

  • -flora = -flowered (e.g. viridiflora = green-flowered)

  • flore plena = with double flowers

  • florida = floriferous

  • foetida = with an unpleasant smell

  • -folia = -leaved (e.g. tenuifolia = narrow-leaved)

  • foliosa = leafy

  • fruticosa = shrubby

  • gigantea = giant

  • glabra = smooth

  • glacialis = from cold areas

  • glutinosa = sticky

  • graeca = from Greece

  • graminifolia = with grassy leaves

  • grandiflora = large-flowered

  • grandis = big

  • helvetica = from Switzerland

  • hirsuta = hairy

  • hispida = bristly

  • humilis = short

  • hyemalis = of winter

  • incana = grey

  • inodora = unscented

  • integrifolia = entire, undivided (leaves)

  • japonica = from Japan

  • lanata = woolly

  • lanceolata = lance-shaped (leaves)

  • latifolia = wide-leaved

  • longiflora = with long flowers

  • longifolia = with long leaves

  • lutea = yellow

  • macrantha = large flowered

  • macro- = large- (e.g. macrorhiza = large-rooted)

  • macrocarpa = large-fruited

  • macrophylla = with large leaves

  • macrorrhiza = with large roots

  • maculata = spotted

  • magellanica = from the south of South America

  • magenta = magenta

  • magna = big

  • majus = bigger

  • maritima = maritime, near the sea

  • maxima = biggest

  • mexicana = from Mexico

  • micrantha = small flowered

  • microphylla = with small leaves

  • millefolia = with many (thousands of) leaves

  • minima = small

  • minor = smaller

  • montana = from mountains

  • multiflora = many flowered

  • muralis = growing on walls

  • nana = small

  • nocturna = nocturnal

  • ochroleuca = cream

  • odorata = perfumed

  • officinalis = with herbal uses

  • ovalifolia = with oval leaves

  • pallida = cream

  • palustris = from marshes

  • parvi- = small- (e.g. parivflora = small-flowered)

  • parviflora = small flowered

  • parvifolia = with small leaves

  • pauci- = few- (e.g. pauciflora =few-flowered)

  • pauciflora = few-flowered

  • paucifolia = with few leaves

  • pendula = hanging

  • perennis = perennial

  • phoenicea = purple

  • -phylla = -leaved (e.g. macrophylla = large-leaved)

  • pinnata = with pinnate leaves

  • poly- = many (e.g polyantha = many-flowered)

  • polyphylla = with many leaves, leafy

  • praecox = early, of spring

  • pratensis = field

  • procumbens = creeping

  • prostrata = prostrate

  • pulverulenta = dusty

  • pumila = small

  • punica = red

  • purpurea = deep pink

  • pygmaea = small

  • quercifolia = oak=leaved

  • rediviva = perennial

  • rivalis = from near rivers

  • rivularis = from near rivers

  • rosea = rose pink

  • rotundifolia = round-leaved

  • rubra = red

  • rupestris = of hills

  • rupicola = of hills

  • russica = from Russia

  • sanguinea = blood-red

  • sativa = cultivated

  • saxatilis = of rocks

  • scaber = climbing

  • scandens = climbing

  • semperviva = perennial

  • sibirica = from Siberia

  • sinense = from China

  • somnifera = inducing sleep

  • spicata = spiked

  • spinosa = spiny

  • stellata = starry

  • sulphurea = yellow

  • sylvestris = of woods

  • tenuifolia = with thin, narrow leaves

  • texensis = from Texas

  • tomentosa = tomentose, woolly

  • trifoliata = trifoliate, with three-lobed leaves

  • umbellata = unbellate, with flowers in an umbel

  • velutina = velvety

  • vernalis = of spring

  • villosa = hairy

  • violacea = violet

  • viridis = green

  • viscosa = sticky

  • vitifolia = with leaves like a vine

  • volubilis = twining

  • vulgaris = common

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