Property:Etymology

String

Usage2264

A

Acoelorraphe +

Greek a-, without, coelo, hollow, and raphe, in reference to shape of the seed +

Aconitum +

according to Pliny, the name "aconite" is taken from the ancient Black Sea port Aconis +

Aconogonon +

Greek acon, whetstone, and gone, seed, perhaps alluding to rough seeds +

Acorus +

Latin form of Greek akoron, presumably an ancient plant name +

Acourtia +

For Mrs. A’Court, a British amateur botanist +

Acrocomia +

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 +