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Latin names & their meaningsMany genus names and even more species have a particular meaning, which helps to identify them
Genera names Generic names sometimes commemorate classical gods and heroes or famous botanists. For example Achillea (yarrow) was named after the warrior Achilles, who was slain by an arrow in his heel; Daphne was a maiden pursued by the sun god Apollo; Iris was the goddess of the rainbow. All come from classical literature.
Plants named after famous botanists include Aubretia after Claude Aubret (1668-1743), a French botanical artist; Clarkia after William Clark (1770-1838), an American explorer; Dahlia after Anders Dahl (1751-89), a Swedish botanist; Magnolia after Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), a French physician and botanist; Mahonia after Bernard McMahon (1775-1816), an Irish-American nurseryman; Nicotiana after Jean Nicot (1530-1600), a French traveller; |
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Rudbeckia after Olaf Rudbeck (1660-174), a Swedish botanist; Saintpaula after Baron Walter von Saint Paul-Illaire (1860-1910), a German traveller; and Tradescantia after John Tradescant (c. 1570-1638), English royal gardener to Charles I.
Species namesSpecies names can be even more informative. They may honour people who had a direct connection with the plant. Often a plant used to be named after the plant 'hunter' who collected it or the nurserymen who propagated and sold it.
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