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World-Wide Recognition!
The botanical name is universal to all countries and languages. People travel. Plants relocate. Professional and
amateur gardeners exchange information. The botanical name is precise and constant¹. There is no confusion as
each plant has a specific name. There is no ‘lost in translation’.
Still not convinced?
In 2017 the Master Gardeners of Ontario (MGOI) led a movement to officially designate one plant as Canada’s
National Flower. They came up with a short list of plants that are found across Canada and through an on-line
ballot asked Canadians to vote. The winner was --- the Bunchberry!
Do you know what a Bunchberry looks like? Below are some images found from a Google image search using the
word ‘Bunchberry’. Which is the Bunchberry that won the vote?
The botanical name for the nominated Bunchberry is Cornus canadensis. Below are the images that match
Bunchberry Cornus canadensis. However, depending on where you live in Canada the common name is not always
Bunchberry. In Ontario it is Bunchberry but in other parts of Canada it is the Canadian dwarf cornel, quatre-temps,
crackerberry, or creeping dogwood. And in other parts of the world there are even more common names.
Common names cause confusion. Given that there are over 400,000 plant species in the world, it’s good that there
is an internationally recognized naming protocol that records with certainty and accuracy the precise name of every
plant.
³
google image
Taxonomic Description: Taxonomy is the science that finds, describes, classifies and names living things.
Gardener’s Latin
For gardeners the important details start at the word Family. Like a family tree, descendants are split into
subfamilies. For plants a subfamily is called a genus. The genus can also be thought of as a category. The genus is a
noun and the first word in the two-name binomial system. The second word in the two-name (binomial) is species.
The species is an adjective which describes the noun.
Remember this two-name system was developed about 250 years ago; its utilization of Latin has since been adapted
for modern-world users. Nowadays when looking at plant names a common phrase used is botanical Latin. For a
few reasons we all know some Latin. The English language is partially derived from Latin. If you speak a bit of
French, Spanish or other romance languages, you’ll know even more Latin. Perhaps you are of an age when Latin
was compulsory in secondary school? All this is to say that by looking at botanical names you will also be reminded
of word origins.
Cornus canadensis
In addition to the genus and species, the naming of a plant may also include a commemorative name.
Or, it might include the name of the person who discovered the plant or first cultivated it.
⁵
Leaves Flower Type How it Grows
aquifolium » pointed leaves centifolia » 100 leaves/petals arboreum» tree-like
Ilex aquifolium » common holly Rosa centifolia » cabbage rose Aeonium arboretum» tree houseleek
crispum/crispa » curly regale » magnificent compacta »compact
Petrolselinum crispum » Lillium regale » regal lily Ilex glabra ‘Compacta’ » compact
curly leaved parsley inkberry
The hardy, disease-resistance and spectacular blooming daylilies do not belong to the genus Lilium (Lily). The genus
for daylilies is hemerocallis. The word hemerocallis means ‘beautiful for a day’. And they are!
Botanary⁶ (davesgarden.com) is an excellent website to quickly find the meaning of a Latin word.
Another way to learn the botanical name is to read the story behind the name. Books like Bill Neal’s Gardener’s
Latin give you the history and the ‘lore’. How did the Heliopsis helianthoides (False Sunflower) get its name? Who
named the Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea) and why name a hydrangea after an oak tree?
What’s your favourite plant? What is your must-have 2018 plant? Find out its botanical name and decode its
binominal name. Who discovered it? What does the name tell you about its characteristics and origins?
¹The introduction of DNA to identify and classify plants has resulted in some changes and more changes are possible.
“Gardeners Latin classed plants according to structure, originally what could be seen with naked eye, then
microscopes of increasing strength and now DNA. DNA is shaking up the botanical tree!” Ursula Karalus,MG
Ursula recommended reading:
Why Plant Names Change: A plant’s botanical name is more than just a label! (Friends of the Garden Daily News)
The Father of DNA Barcoding: Professor Paul Hebert, Department of Integrative Biology, U. of Guelph
⁶Searching Botanary
https://davesgarden.com/guides/botanary/search.php?search_text=clethr
Dictionaries
Coombes, Allen J. Dictionary of Plant Names, Timber Press, Portland, Oregon 1995, ISBN: 0881922943
Language Gardeners Speak: Naming Plant Name (excellent quick reference)
Harrison, Lorraine, Latin for Gardeners, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois 2012 ISBN – 13: 9780226009193
(over 3000 plant names, plus explicit drawings and some ‘stories’)
________________ Horticulture - Plant Names Explained: Botanical Terms and Their Meaning,
Horticulture Publications, Boston, Mass, 2005 ISBN: 1558707476 (plant name plus some history and stories)
Pronouncing botanical Latin names often flusters and intimidates people. First remember that we are used to
saying some names e.g. trillium, clematis, geranium, crocus, hydrangea.
“Courage is the best principle: just have a go. Say the word aloud several times to hear how it sounds. In most
cases the stress is placed on the second or third syllable. There is often no wrong or right way: ask tree
taxonomists and you may well get three different versions. Never mind: we can all enjoy saying ‘silly bum’
for Silybum marianum, the milk thistle.” Jane Sterndale-Bennett, Plant Names Explained
Prepared by Grey County Master Gardeners for use by home gardeners & community groups.
For other use, please email greycountymg@gmail.com February 2018pdw