They often sound confusing, but botanical plant names always have a meaning. Our overview shows what is behind the terms.
So that botanists and plant lovers all over the world know what we are talking about, each plant has its own scientific name. Being able to identify plants means dealing with the sometimes foreign-sounding botanical names. This can turn into an interesting and rewarding activity, as botanical plant names reveal a lot about the origin, appearance and lifestyle of different plants.
Why are there botanical plant names?
The botanical plant names create a uniform language in the professional world. Botanists, scientists and gardeners all over the world know what to do with the term Taraxacum officinale. The botanical layman, on the other hand, knows names such as dandelion, buttercup, meadow lettuce or sow flower for the dandelion. This is just one example of tens of thousands of plants whose names would cause general perplexity and confusion if there were no uniform and generally understandable name.
A look into the history books
Carl von Linné can be described as the pioneer of botanical plant names. The botanist wrote his groundbreaking work "Species Plantarum" in 1753. Scientific names for plants existed much earlier. Linnaeus made nomenclature more systematic, introducing generic names and the classification of plants into species, genera, and families. This system is called binary nomenclature.
When assigning botanical names to plants, Linné and his successors used old names, some of which date back to antiquity, or gave new names. There are various aspects to consider when choosing a name. These are explained in more detail below.
Botanical Plant Names by Habitat
The preferred habitats are often found as part of the plant name. Certain genera are further subdivided into individual species based on different site requirements.
Examples:
| common plant name | botanicalPlant Name | word origin |
|---|---|---|
| Fence Morning Glory | Calystegia sepium | Saepes=fence (Latin) |
| Brown Avens | Geum rivale | Rivus=Bach (Latin) |
| Meadow Cranesbill | Geranium pratense | Pratum=Meadow (Latin) |
| Swamp Cranesbill | Geranium palustre | Palus=swamp (Latin) |
| River and Pond Horsetail | Equisetum fluviatile | Fluvius=river (Latin) |
Botanical Plant Names by Growth Form
Many botanical plant names also allow deductions to be made about the growth form of the plants.
Examples:
| common plant name | botanical plant name | word origin |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Thistle | Carlina acaulis | kaulos=stalk (Greek) |
| Stemless Spear Thistle | Cirsium acaule | Akaulos=stemless (Greek) |
| winds | Convolvulus | Convolvere=to wind (Latin) |
| Creeping Buttercup | Ranunculus repens | Repens=creeping (Latin) |
| Ivy | Hedera helix | Helix=turn (Greek) |
Botanical Plant Names by Flower Shape
A clue to the shape of the flower is often included in the botanical name.
| common plant name | botanical plant name | word origin |
|---|---|---|
| Daisy | Chrysanthemum leucanthemum | Chrysos=gold (Greek) |
| Frauenschuh | Cypripedium | Cypris=Venus (Latin) |
| Deadnettle | Lamium | Lamos=gorge (Greek) |
| Starwort | Stellaria | Stellaris=Star-shaped (Latin) |
| Aster | Aster | Stella=Star (Latin) |
Botanical Plant Names by People
Many plant names are given in honor of people who discovered, bred or described these species. These are usually botanists, gardeners or explorers.
Examples:
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Plant names derived from people can be recognized by the endings "ii", "ianus" or "ianum".
heldreichii - Theodor von Heldreich (DirectorAthens Botanical Garden)
ledebourii - C.F. von Ledebour (Director Botanical Garden Dorpat)
fortunei - R. Fortune (English botanist and technical writer)
sieboldianus - P.F. by Siebold (German botanist Asian researcher)
Botanical names of plants according to legendary figures
The names of various plants hide names of legendary figures.
Examples:
Yarrow (Achillea) - Greek mythical hero Achilles
Adonis (Adonis flammea) - Adonis, beloved of Venus
Dog's mercury (Mercurialis) - Greek god Mercury
Water lily (Nymphaea) - nymph, female nature deity
Botanical Plant Names by Country and Region
If geographical names are found in the plant designations, this allows a conclusion to be drawn about the distribution area. Many alpine plants are called alpina or montana.
Examples:
| common plant name | botanical plant name | Area of distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Canary Spurge | Euphorbia canariensis | Canary Islands |
| Alpine Toadflax | Linaria alpina | Alpenraum |
| Golden Poppy | Eschholzia californica | California |
| Canadian Goldenrod | Solidago canadensis | Canada |
Botanical names according to properties
Examples:
aculcatus - prickly
acutifolius - pointed-leaved
baccatus - berry-bearingbrachhypodus - short-stalked
alatus - winged
acuminatus - long and acuminate
Botanical Plant Names by Color
Examples:
album - white
argenteum - silvery
aureum - golden
azureus - blueflava - yellow
rubra - red
rosea - pink
variegata - variegated
Botanical terms using the example of orchids
Hybrid
A hybrid is a cross between two species or genera. In the case of orchids, crosses also occur between the genera. One then speaks of multi-genus hybrids.
Epiphyte
These plants grow on the bark of other plants. In addition to orchids, this also applies to mosses and ferns.
Lithophyte
These are plants that grow on stones and rocks.
Monopodial
This is a growth form in which the orchid grows upwards from a stem.
Bulbe
The thickened corms of theOrchids, which serve as a storage organ.
Selection of plant names for new breeds
In addition to the botanical name, breeding plants are provided with a variety or trade name. Botanical names were also used for old varieties and the growth form, flower color or distribution area were described.
Today, breeders choose the variety name themselves. Many plant lovers let their creativity run free. In addition to the respective species name, the most diverse variety names can be found at the end. These can be fantasy names, celebrities and personalities or the naming of sponsors. The breeders have their creations protected by copyright. The trend towards English variety names such as Rose “Queen Anne” or “Aspirin Rose” is catching on. These are more melodious and attract more attention in the international market.