Free The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants by Allen Coombes

Eur., Turkey.
absinthium L. ab-
sinth
-ee-oom. Absinthe. The Lat. name. Eur., N Africa, Asia.
alba Turra.
al
-buh. Lat. white (the plant). S Eur., N Africa.
annua L.
an
-ew-uh. Sweet worm-wood. Lat. annual. SE Eur., W Asia.
arborescens L. ar-bor-
res
-uhnz. Lat. becoming tree-like. Medit.
cana Pursh.
kah
-nuh. Lat. grey (the foliage). SW Canada, W USA.
caucasica Willd. kaw-
kas
-i-kuh. Of the Caucasus. Eur., W Asia.
dracunculus L. druh-
kunk
-ew-loos. Tarragon. Lat. a little dragon (from the shape of the roots). SE Russia.
filifolia Torr. fi-li-
foh
-lee-uh. Sand sagebrush. Lat. with thread-like leaves. C USA, N Mex.
frigida Willd.
fri
-ji-duh. Prairie sage-wort. Lat. cold (it can be found in cold places). N Am.
lactiflora Wall. ex DC. lak-ti-
flaw
-ruh. Lat. with milky flowers. Himal., China, SE Asia.
ludoviciana Nutt. lue-doh-vis-ee-
ah
-nuh. White sagebrush. Of St. Louis, from near where it was described. N Am.
nova A. Nelson.
noh
-vuh. Black sagebrush. Lat. new (it long escaped detection). W USA.
pontica L.
pon
-ti-kuh. Roman worm-wood. Of Pontus (now NE Turkey). Eur., Turkey.
schmidtiana Maxim. shmit-ee-
ah
-nuh. After German botanist Carl Friedrich Schmidt (1811–1890), who worked on the genus. Japan.
stelleriana Besser. stel-uh-ree-
ah
-nuh. Beach wormwood, dusty miller. After Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709–1746), German naturalist and explorer. NE Asia, Alaska.
tridentata Nutt. trie-den-
tah
-tuh. Big sagebrush. Lat. three-toothed (the leaves). W USA. subsp. wyomingensis Beetle & A. M. Young. wie-ohming-
en
-sis. Of Wyoming.
vulgaris L. vul-
gar
-ris. Mugwort. Lat. common. Eur., N Africa, W Asia.
Arthropodium R. Br. (Asparagaceae). arth-roh-
poh
-dee-oom. Gk. jointed (flower) stalk. 9 spp. herbs. Madagascar, New Caledonia, Australia, NZ.
candidum Raoul.
kan
-di-doom. Lat. white (the flowers). NZ.
cirrhatum (G. Forst.) R. Br. si-
rah
-toom. Gk. curled (the anthers). NZ.
artichoke, globe
Cynara cardunculus
Scolymus Group. Jerusalem
Helianthus tuberosus
artillery plant
Pilea microphylla
Arum L. (Araceae).
a
-room. Gk. name for this or a similar plant. 28 spp. perenn. herbs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.
creticum Boiss. & Heldr.
kret
-i-koom. Lat. of Crete. Crete, SW Turkey.
cyrenaicum Hruby. si-ruh-
nay
-i-koom. Of Cyrenaica (E Libya). Crete, Libya.
dioscoridis Sm. dee-os-ko-
ree
-dis. After Gk. physician Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40–90), who wrote about it. E Medit.
italicum Mill. i-
tal
-i-koom. Of Italy. Eur., N Africa, SW Asia.
maculatum L. mak-ew-
lah
-toom. Cuckoo pint, lords and ladies. Lat. spotted (the leaves). Eur., W Asia.
pictum L.f.
pik
-toom. Lat. painted (the leaves). W Medit.
arum, bog
Calla palustris
Aruncus L. (Rosaceae). uh-
run
-koos. Lat. name used by Pliny the Elder, from Gk. goat’s beard. 3 spp. perenn. herbs. N temp. regs.
aethusifolius (H. Lév.) Nakai. ee-thew-zi-
foh
-lee-oos. Lat. with leaves like
Aethusa
. Korea.
dioicus (Walter) Fernald. die-
oy
-koos. Goat’s beard. Gk. dioecious. Eur., Asia, N Am.
Arundinaria Michx. (Poaceae). uh-run-di-
nair
-ree-uh. Lat. like
Arundo
. 1 sp., bamboo. E USA.
gigantea (Walter) Muhl. jie-
gan
-teeuh. Giant cane. Lat. very large. subsp. tecta (Walter) McClure.
tek
-tuh. Switch cane. Lat. a covering (the large sheaths covering the inflorescence). SE USA.
Arundo L. (Poaceae). uh-
run
-doh. Lat. reed. 3 spp. grasses. Medit.
donax L.
doh
-naks. Giant reed. Gk. name for a kind of reed.
asarabacca
Asarum europaeum
Asarina Mill. (Plantaginaceae). az-uh-
ree
-nuh. Spanish name for an antirrhinum, meaning like
Asarum
. 1 sp., perenn. herb. SW Eur.
procumbens Mill. proh-
kum
-buhnz. Lat. creeping.
Asarum L. (Aristolochiaceae).
az
-uh-room. Lat. name, from Gk. 80 spp. perenn. herbs. N temp. regs.
arifolium Michx. a-ri-
foh
-lee-oom. Littlebrownjug. Lat. with leaves like
Arum
. SE USA.
canadense L. kan-uh-
den
-see. Wild ginger. Of Canada. E USA, SE Canada.
caudatum Lindl. kaw-
dah
-toom. Lat. with a tail-like point (the calyx lobes). W USA, SW Canada.
caulescens Maxim.