Latin for Gardeners
Over 3,000 Plant Names Explained and Explored
Latin for Gardeners
Over 3,000 Plant Names Explained and Explored
Since Latin became the standard language for plant naming in the eighteenth century, it has been intrinsically linked with botany. And while mastery of the classical language may not be a prerequisite for tending perennials, all gardeners stand to benefit from learning a bit of Latin and its conventions in the field. Without it, they might buy a Hellebores foetidus and be unprepared for its fetid smell, or a Potentilla reptans with the expectation that it will stand straight as a sentinel rather than creep along the ground.
An essential addition to the gardener’s library, this colorful, fully illustrated book details the history of naming plants, provides an overview of Latin naming conventions, and offers guidelines for pronunciation. Readers will learn to identify Latin terms that indicate the provenance of a given plant and provide clues to its color, shape, fragrance, taste, behavior, functions, and more.
See sample pages (PDF format).
224 pages | 200 color plates | 7 x 9 | © 2012
Biological Sciences: Botany, Natural History
Reviews
Table of Contents
How to Use This Book
A Short History of Botanical Latin
Botanical Latin for Beginners
An Introduction to the A–Z Listings
The A-Z Listings of Latin Plant Names
A from a- to azureus
B from babylonicus to byzantinus
C from cacaliifolius to cytisoides
D from dactyliferus to dyerianum
E from e- to eyriesii
F from fabaceus to futilis
G from gaditanus to gymnocarpus
H from haastii to hystrix
I from ibericus to ixocarpus
J from jacobaeus to juvenilis
K from kamtschaticus to kurdicus
L from labiatus to lysimachioides
M from macedonicus to myrtifolius
N from nanellus to nymphoides
O from obconicus to oxyphyllus
P from pachy- to pyriformis
Q from quadr- to quinquevulnerus
R from racemiflorus to rutilans
S from sabatius to szechuanicus
T from tabularis to typhinus
U from ulicinus to uvaria
V from vacciniifolius to vulgatus
W from wagnerii to wulfenii
X from xanth- to xantholeucus
Y from yakushimanus to yunnanensis
Z from zabeliana to zonatus
Plant Profiles
Acanthus
Achillea
Alyssum
Digitalis
Eryngium
Eucalyptus
Foeniculum
Geranium
Helianthus
Jasminum
Lycopersicon
Parthenocissus
Passiflora
Plumbago
Pulmonaria
Quercus
Sempervivum
Streptocarpus
Tropaeolum
Vaccinium
Plant Hunters
Baron Alexander von Humboldt
Sir Joseph Banks
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
Francis Masson and Carl Peter Thunberg
John Bartram and William Bartram
David Douglas
Carl Linnaeus
Jane Colden and Marianne North
Sir Joseph Hooker
André Michaux and François Michaux
Plant Themes
Where Plants Come From
Plants: Their Shape and Form
The Color of Plants
The Qualities of Plants
Plants: Their Fragrance and Taste
Numbers and Plants
Plants and Animals
Glossary
Bibliography
Credits
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