Plants have three main organs: the leaf, the stem and the root. This weekend, let's take a look at the root, but not the one that is long and round and grows underground. It can be helpful, and certainly entertaining, for gardeners to know a plant's verbal roots, too. And although I'm no linguist, I'll lean heavily on my trusty Webster's and some favorite plant books and take a shot at etymology.
Behind almost every plant name there is an interesting history. The most accurate way to identify a plant is with its Latin name, which is why I use Latin names in this column and encourage you to purchase plants by them. The Latin name is based on a plant's genus and species epithet, or descriptive name. The common name may be a direct translation of the Latin or may describe an interesting characteristic of the plant.
For example, gladiolus is the Latin diminutive of gladius, or sword, and means "small sword." Thus the name was given to the brilliantly colored plant whose leaves and spikes are sword-shaped. The leaves of hepatica suggest the shape of the liver, hence the Latin name hepaticus, "of the liver." The nectary or spur of the delphinium resembles the shape of a dolphin, so this flower takes its name directly from delphinium, which is a diminutive of the Greek for dolphin. The geranium's carpel, the innermost whorl of its flower, suggests the bill of a crane, so the plant was named after the Greek geranos, a crane. Therefore, the common name of the genus Geranium is "cranesbill." Red varieties of phlox must have been known first, for the name is borrowed from the Greek phlox, flame. The snapdragon is so called because its flower is whimsically likened to the mouth of a dragon.
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Names of our plants have come to us from myriad sources. Some have lived for millennia. They may be testimonials to customs dating to antiquity. They may reveal our ancestors' fashions and credos, They may derive from words used by an Athenian poet or an Anglo-Saxon farmer.
Many a delightful tale or metaphor is hidden in the names of plants. Ancient mythology contributes some of the more interesting names from its timeless stories of gods and heroes.
Cornflower (Centauria): There are about 500 species of this aster family member named after the mythological beast that was half man, half horse. A centaur named Chiron was healed by this plant and, while most centaurs are untamed, he was a wise teacher. So, as the story goes, because of the healing powers of Centauria, Chiron went on to teach many Greek heroes, such as Achilles.
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Peony (Paeonia): It was named for Paean, who was the physician for the Greek gods. Hippocrates used it 2,500 years ago to treat epilepsy. Seldom administered in contemporary herbal medicines, it was historically considered to have healing qualities for whooping cough and nervous irritation.
Hyacinthus: Another of the Greek gods was Hyacinthus, Apollo's dearest companion. Often, an especially ethereal bloom was held to be the true artistic creation of a god. Narcissus was named for the Greek god Narkissos, who fell in love with his own image. Flowers are so beautiful, one can easily understand why they were given names of the gods.
Acer rubrum: This is an example of a direct translation from Latin. If you know that Acer is maple, you might guess that Acer rubrum is a red maple.
Southern bayberry (Myrica cerifera): The reason for the name cerifera, meaning wax bearing, is that one of its ornamental characteristics is blue, waxy berries produced in fall that are used to make bayberry candles.
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Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus): Its genus name refers to the calyx part of the flower, probably because of the many sepals or green leafy structures around the base of each bloom. The species epithet indicates that this plant is a native of Florida. The sweetshrub is also true to its common name with fruity smelling flowers from May into June, and, when the stems are bruised, they offer fragrance year round.
Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria): The species name doesn't reflect its state of origin as does sweetshrub. It comes from its medicinal use. Indians used the leaves as a tea, which, high in caffeine, acted as a strong purgative.
Rhododendron: The botanical name of this popular plant is a combination of two words, rhodon, rose, and dendron, tree. "Rose tree" is certainly an appropriate name.
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Bellflower (Campanula): The Latin campana, meaning bell, refers to the pendulous campaniform blue, lilac or white blossoms in spring and summer.
Iris: Once you understand the Latin translation, you know why it was called iris. It means rainbow, and in classical mythology, Iris was the goddess of the rainbow. It was the bridge that was let down from heaven to accommodate her.
Helianthus: From the Greek for sun, helios, and flower, anthos, you have sunflower.
Nasturtium: Means "nose twist." Its name is a combination of the Latin nasus, nose, and torquere, to twist, perhaps because its poignant emanation causes one to make a wry face.
Common names of plants evolved internationally, and they were derived from many cultures. The tulip resembled a turban and was named tulbend, Turkish for "turban." An Anglo-Saxon expression, daeges eage, became the common name for a very large group of plants in the aster family, the daisy. It means "day's eye," and refers to the way the petals come down around the flowers on many of these plants at night. Pansy comes from the French pense{acute}e, meaning "thought." And dandelion is derived from the Old French dent de lion, or lion's tooth, for the sharp, tooth-like jagged edges on its foliage.
So remember: Flowers do not live by underground roots alone.
Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md. His e-mail address is jml@gardenlerner.com The name "daisy" comes from an Anglo-Saxon expression that means "day's eye," a reference to the way the petals come down around the flowers at night.
