Part 1: Classification and naming of plants
6. Meanings of common names in plants
As the names are based on Latin or Greek, they often have a meaning. Click on the titles below to view some common names used in plants and what they mean:
| alba | white |
|---|---|
| alpina | from the alps |
| america | from America |
| arctica | from the arctic |
| aurea | golden, yellow |
| australis | from the south (not necessarily Australia) |
| autumnalis | of autumn |
| borealis | from the north |
| caerulea | blue |
| canadensis | from Canada |
| chinensis | from China |
| compacta | compact |
| -flora | -flowered (e.g. viridiflora = green-flowered) |
| -folia | -leaved (e.g. tenuifolia = narrow-leaved) |
Rosa chinensis
Sakurai Midori / CC BY-SA 2.1 JP
| gigantea | giant |
|---|---|
| grandis | big |
| japonica | from Japan |
| longiflora | with long flowers |
| longifolia | with long leaves |
| macro- | large- |
| maritima | maritime, near the sea |
| minima | small |
| montana | from mountains |
| multiflora | many flowered |
| pendula | hanging |
| -phylla | -leaved |
| rivalis or rivularis | from near rivers |
|---|---|
| rosea | rose pink |
| rotundifolia | round-leaved |
| rubra | red |
| sanguinea | blood-red |
| sibirica | from Siberia |
| sinense | from China |
| spinosa | spiny |
| stellata | starry |
| violacea | violet |
| viridis | green |
| vulgaris | common |
Draba stellata
Tigerente / CC BY-SA 3.0
Activity
Here are some more - see if you can guess what the following plant names mean.
Annua
= annual (lives for 1 year)
Asurea
= blue
Decidua
= deciduous
Grandiflora
= large flowers
Muralis
= climber (like a mural on a wall)