Property:Etymology

Usage2264

A

Greek akron, summit, and kome, hairs of the head, in reference to the high crown of leaves +, akrokomos, with leaves at the top, said especially of palms +

Acroporium +

Greek akros, top, and poros, pore, possibly alluding to tubulose points of branches +

Acroptilon +

Greek akron, tip, and ptilon, feather, describing the pappus bristles +

Acrostichum +

Greek acros, at the end, tip, and stichos, row, referring to the distal spore-bearing pinnae +

Actaea +

Greek, aktea, ancient name for the elder, probably for leaf similarity +

Actinostachys +

Greek aktis, ray, and stachys, spike, referring to the rays of the fertile leaves +

Adelia +

Greek a-, not, and delos, evident, alluding to small, obscure flowers +

Adenocaulon +

Greek aden, gland, and kaulos, stem +

Adenophyllum +

Greek adeno, gland, and phyllon, leaf +

Adenostoma +

Greek a den, gland, and stoma, mouth, alluding to gland at rim of hypanthium +

Adiantum +

Greek adiantos, unwetted, for the glabrous leaves, which shed raindrops +

Adlumia +

For John Adlum, 1759-1836, a horticulturist born in York, Pa., died in Georgetown, D.C. +

Adolphia +

For Adolphe Brongniart, 1801–1876, French botanist and student of Rhamnaceae +

Adonis +

Greek mythology: sprouted from blood of Adonis, lover of Aphrodite, based on the blood red flowers +

Aeonium +

Dioscoridean name for A. arboreum +

Agalinis +

Greek aga-, very or much, and genus Linum, alluding to resemblance of stems and leaves +

Agarista +

Greek mythological daughter of Clisthenes, alluding to beauty of flowers +

Agave +

Greek agave, noble or admirable +

Agdestis +

A mythi-cal hermaphrodite monster, in reference to the original inclusion in Menispermaceae, where it was the only genus with bisexual flowers +

Ageratina +

Generic name Ageratum and Latin - ina, diminutive +

Ageratum +

Greek a, not, and geras, old age, apparently alluding to long-lasting nature of flowers +

Agnorhiza +

Possibly Greek agnostos, unknown, and rhiza, root, alluding to the initially unknown roots +, in protologue of basionym of type species, Greene stated, “Root unknown.” +

Agoseris +

Greek agos, leader, and seris, chicory +, allusion unclear +

Agrimonia +

Greek Argemone from argemos, cataract of eye, alluding to supposed curative properties of plant for eye disease +

Agrostemma +

Greek agros, field, and stemma, crown or wreath, alluding to the flowers’ use in garlands +

Akebia +

Japanese akebi, name for Akebia quinata +

Alcea +

Greek alkea, a kind of mallow +

Alchemilla +

Arabic name alkemelyeh, perhaps alluding to alchemists' interest in reputed marvelous powers of its dew +

Aletris +

Greek aletris, a female slave who ground corn, alluding to the mealy texture of the perianths +

Alisma +

ancient Greek name, adopted by Linnaeus from Dioscorides +

Allenrolfea +

for Robert Allen Rolfe, English botanist, 1855–1921 +

Alliaria +

Genus Allium, garlic or onion, and Latin –aria, connection, alluding to odor of crushed plant +

Allionia +

For C. Allioni, 1725–1804, Italian botanist +

Allium +

Latin, classical name for garlic +

Allotropa +

Greek allos, other or different, and tropos, turn or direction, alluding to inflorescence +

Allowissadula +

Greek allo- , different, and genus Wissadula +

Almutaster +

For Almut G. Jones, b. 1923, American Aster specialist +

Alnus +

Latin alnus, alder +

Aloe +

Arabic alloeh, a name for these or similar plants +

Aloina +

Genus Aloë and Latin -ina, resembling, alluding to fleshy leaves +

Alophia +

Greek a, not, and lophos, crest, referring to the absence of style crests +

Alpinia +

for Italian botanist Prosper Alpinus (1553–1617) +

Alsia +

Anagram of generic name Lasia (now Forsstroemia), alluding to similarity +

Alstroemeria +

for Clas Alströmer, 1736–1794, Swedish naturalist and pupil of Linnaeus +

Alternanthera +

Latin alternans, alternating, and anthera, anther, referring to the alternation of pseudostaminodes and stamens +

Althaea +

For Althaea, wife of King Oeneus of Aetolia or Calydon +

Alvaradoa +

For Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras, ca. 1485 – 1541, member of Cortez’s expedition to Mexico +

Alyssum +

Greek, a-, not or without, and lyssa, rabies or madness +, name used for plants reputed in ancient times as remedy for hydrophobia, cure for madness, and calmative for anger +

Amaranthus +

Greek amarantos, unfading, nonwith ering +

Amauriopsis +

Generic name Amauria, and Greek - opsis, resembling +