The meaning of Latin plant names

Painting of distinguished 18th Century academic

Carl Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist, zoologist & physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming organisms

Handy reference for finding out what scientific plant names mean, via The Seed Site

The Seed Site has a great list of the meaning of Latin plant names. I’m putting the list here as well, in case the original site ever goes offline.

  • abyssinica = from Abysinnia (Ethiopia) (North Africa)
  • acaulis = stemless
  • aestivalis = flowering in spring
  • alba = white
  • alpestris = from mountains
  • alpicola = from mountains
  • alpina = from the alps
  • altissima = tallest
  • america = from America
  • angustifolia = narrow-leaved
  • annua = annual
  • -antha = -flowered (e.g. micrantha = small-flowered)
  • arboricola = living on trees
  • arctica = from the arctic
  • arenaria = from sandy places
  • argentea = silvery
  • armata = prickly
  • arvensis = of the field
  • aurantiaca = orange
  • aurea = golden, yellow
  • australis = from the south (not necessarily Australia)
  • autumnalis = of autumn
  • azurea = blue
  • barbata = bearded, hairy
  • bellidifolia = with leaves like those of a daisy
  • borealis = from the north
  • bulbifera = bearing bulbs
  • bulgarica = from Bulgaria
  • caerulea = blue
  • caespitosa = dense
  • campanulata = campanulate, like a bell
  • campestris = of the field
  • canadensis = from Canada
  • canariensis = from the Canary Isles
  • capensis = from the Cape, South Africa
  • chilensis = from Chile
  • chinensis = from China
  • chrysantha = yellow
  • clivora = from the hills
  • coccinea = red
  • compacta = compact
  • decidua = deciduous
  • densiflora = dense-flowered
  • digitata = (leaves) like a hand, with five lobes
  • edulis = edible
  • esculenta = edible
  • farinosa = floury, powdery
  • ficifolia = like a fig leaf
  • flava = yellow
  • -flora = -flowered (e.g. viridiflora = green-flowered)
  • flore plena = with double flowers
  • florida = floriferous
  • foetida = with an unpleasant smell
  • -folia = -leaved (e.g. tenuifolia = narrow-leaved)
  • foliosa = leafy
  • fruticosa = shrubby
  • gigantea = giant
  • glabra = smooth
  • glacialis = from cold areas
  • glutinosa = sticky
  • graeca = from Greece
  • graminifolia = with grassy leaves
  • grandiflora = large-flowered
  • grandis = big
  • helvetica = from Switzerland
  • hirsuta = hairy
  • hispida = bristly
  • humilis = short
  • hyemalis = of winter
  • incana = grey
  • inodora = unscented
  • integrifolia = entire, undivided (leaves)
  • japonica = from Japan
  • lanata = woolly
  • lanceolata = lance-shaped (leaves)
  • latifolia = wide-leaved
  • longiflora = with long flowers
  • longifolia = with long leaves
  • lutea = yellow
  • macrantha = large flowered
  • macro- = large- (e.g. macrorhiza = large-rooted)
  • macrocarpa = large-fruited
  • macrophylla = with large leaves
  • macrorrhiza = with large roots
  • maculata = spotted
  • magellanica = from the south of South America
  • magenta = magenta
  • magna = big
  • majus = bigger
  • maritima = maritime, near the sea
  • maxima = biggest
  • mexicana = from Mexico
  • micrantha = small flowered
  • microphylla = with small leaves
  • millefolia = with many (thousands of) leaves
  • minima = small
  • minor = smaller
  • montana = from mountains
  • multiflora = many flowered
  • muralis = growing on walls
  • nana = small
  • nocturna = nocturnal
  • ochroleuca = cream
  • odorata = perfumed
  • officinalis = with herbal uses
  • ovalifolia = with oval leaves
  • pallida = cream
  • palustris = from marshes
  • parvi- = small- (e.g. parivflora = small-flowered)
  • parviflora = small flowered
  • parvifolia = with small leaves
  • pauci- = few- (e.g. pauciflora =few-flowered)
  • pauciflora = few-flowered
  • paucifolia = with few leaves
  • pendula = hanging
  • perennis = perennial
  • phoenicea = purple
  • -phylla = -leaved (e.g. macrophylla = large-leaved)
  • pinnata = with pinnate leaves
  • poly- = many (e.g polyantha = many-flowered)
  • polyphylla = with many leaves, leafy
  • praecox = early, of spring
  • pratensis = field
  • procumbens = creeping
  • prostrata = prostrate
  • pulverulenta = dusty
  • pumila = small
  • punica = red
  • purpurea = deep pink
  • pygmaea = small
  • quercifolia = oak=leaved
  • rediviva = perennial
  • rivalis = from near rivers
  • rivularis = from near rivers
  • rosea = rose pink
  • rotundifolia = round-leaved
  • rubra = red
  • rupestris = of hills
  • rupicola = of hills
  • russica = from Russia
  • sanguinea = blood-red
  • sativa = cultivated
  • saxatilis = of rocks
  • scaber = climbing
  • scandens = climbing
  • semperviva = perennial
  • sibirica = from Siberia
  • sinense = from China
  • somnifera = inducing sleep
  • spicata = spiked
  • spinosa = spiny
  • stellata = starry
  • sulphurea = yellow
  • sylvestris = of woods
  • tenuifolia = with thin, narrow leaves
  • texensis = from Texas
  • tomentosa = tomentose, woolly
  • trifoliata = trifoliate, with three-lobed leaves
  • umbellata = unbellate, with flowers in an umbel
  • velutina = velvety
  • vernalis = of spring
  • villosa = hairy
  • violacea = violet
  • viridis = green
  • viscosa = sticky
  • vitifolia = with leaves like a vine
  • volubilis = twining
  • vulgaris = common