What's in a name? Plant Etymology, Folklore, & The Binomial Naming System

Betula papyrifera (Marshall); Paper Birch, surrounded

by Rubus idaeus (L.); Wild Red Raspberry.

The binomial naming system was established in the latter half of the 1700s by Carl Linnaeus. In generic terms, it seeks to categorize all forms of life using two names: a genus (general) name, and a species (specific) name. Not always listed, the Latin name also includes an 'attribute' in brackets. The attribute refers to the person who gave the plant its Latin name; by surname, or, in the case of Linnaeus himself, just by a capital L. The basic format is Genus species (Last Name ('Attribute')). Ex. Syringa vulgaris (L.), Common Lilac; or Juniperus horizontalis (Moench).

The system was created to provide distinct, universal names that can be used to identify species across language and cultural barriers. These names are formatted grammatically in Latin, but not all are Latin words. Occasionally, words are taken from other languages, or are named for the individual who first named them (i.e. the species name ‘Lewisii’', named for Lewis of the famed Lewis & Clark).

The binomial naming system has lost some of its value with time, as broad society forgets the keys of Latin on which it is based. The study of etymology (the history of words) adds great value to the horticultural field, allowing a broader understanding of species’ characteristics. Occasionally, etymology unveils a rich tapestry of cultural storytelling and mythos that is equal parts compelling and valuable. These stories often transmit important ancestral lessons on the values, uses, and dangers of their ascribed plant species. 

Cultures around the world chose to weave the lessons of the plant world into their tapestries of folk wisdom- they did so with great care and intention. These pervasive, surviving myths, the ones exchanged between generations of families and communities, during celebrations and rites of passage, are some of the oldest words of advice we have from our ancestors. The people whose stewardship shaped this world before us. These lessons are coded in the echoes that remain of these stories. Whether or not you can relate to the deep spiritual reverence our ancestors had for the plant world, it must be understood that it was revered so greatly that people across the world believed plants, especially those of healing, to be of, and belong purely to, The Divine in all its names. 

What follows is the sum of many years of study: my own personal compilation of one of the many languages that are used to make sense of the plant kingdom. This list is a constant source of reference for me personally, and is ever-expanding as I continue my lifelong study. It is an excellent section to include in your personal Materia Medica, Herbal, etc.

Common Terms

Alba: a commonly used specific name, meaning ‘white’. 

Alpinus: ‘of the mountains’. 

Angustifolia: ‘narrow leaf’. 

Arborescens: denotes a non-woody species that is tree-like or shrub-like. 

Asteraceae: is one of the largest flowering plant families in the world, containing about 23,000 species. It is given the name asteraceae after one of the genus of this family, the aster. Aster is named after the greek word ‘ἀστήρ’, meaning star, for its star-like inflorescence. The inflorescence is the easiest way to identify species as a member of this family- think dandelions, sunflowers, daisies. Members of this family are sometimes broadly referred to as ‘daisies’, so named for the old English word ‘daegesege’, which means ‘day's eye’ (referring to their tendency to open in the day and close at night). The study of the aster family is called ‘synantherology’. 

Baccatus: ‘berry-bearing’. 

Borealis/ Boreale: a species name that is given to plants native to the north. 

Elegans: a relatively common species name fondly given to plants that are considered to be of particular elegance.

Erectus/erecta: probably going without explanation, this species name refers to something that has an upright habit. 

Esculentus: ‘edible’.

Hortensis: ‘from the garden’. 

Inedulis: ‘inedible’. 

Lutea/ Luteus: ‘yellow’ or ‘saffron-coloured’. 

Montanus/Montana: ‘of the mountains’. 

Muralis: a species name that translates to ‘of the wall’. It denotes a species that has a climbing habit, one that may grow on walls. 

Nigra: ‘black’. 

Occidentalis/ occidentale: a species name that translates to ‘western’.

Officinale/ officinalis: One of the most useful species names to recognize in the binomial naming system, ‘officinale/ officinalis’ denotes a plant or, occasionally, an animal or fungus species that is highly valued due to its extensive history of use (in Europe) as a medicinal or edible plant. Some plant species were originally given the name, such as Rosemary (originally Rosmarinus officinalis), but as the species were recategorized they lost the name (Rosemary became Salvia rosmarinus, because Salvia officinalis, Garden Sage, was already taken.). Officinalis translates to ‘of or belonging to an officina’, the storeroom of a monastery, where medicines and other necessities were kept. Some say that this name is given to the ‘official’ plant of each genus- this is useful for memorization but is not entirely accurate. 

Oleraceus: Another of the most useful species names to recognize, ‘oleraceus’ denotes a plant that has an extensive history (in Europe) as a vegetable and/or culinary plant. 

Sinensis: a species name that denotes a plant native to China. 

Palustris: ‘of the marsh’.

Phalloides: phallus-like. 

Pungens: refers to a species with a particularly strong odour. 

Sativus/ Sativa/ Sativum: translates to ‘cultivated’. 

Sylvestris: ‘from the woodlands’.

Tinctorius/ tinctoria: denotes a species that was commonly used for dyeing. 

Vernus/ vernalis: typically denotes a plant that blooms in the spring.

Vera/ verus/ verum: ‘true’.

Viridis: green. 

Virosus: poisonous. 

Vulgaris/ vulgare: ‘common’. 

Prefixes

A-/An-: without, not.

Ab-: away

Actino-/Actin-: beam, ray.

Aero-: air/

Ad-: to, towards. 

Allo-: different. 

Amphi-: both. 

Angio-/Angium-: vessel. 

Andro-: male.

Aniso-: unequal. 

Apo-: separate. 

Auto-: self. 

Bi-: two. 

Bryo-: moss. 

Carpo-: fruit. 

Cauli-/Caulo-: stalk, stem. 

Ceno-/Caeno-/Caino-: recent.

Chloro-: green. 

Chrono-: time. 

Clado-: branch. 

Coleo-: covering, sheath. 

Coeno-: common. 

Cord-: heart shaped. 

Crass-: thick or fat. 

Crypto-: hidden.

Cyto-: cell. 

Dendro-: tree. 

Derma-/Dermo-: skin.

Di-: two. 

Dictyo-: net. 

Diplo-: double, paired. 

E-/Ex-: absent. 

Ecto-: outside

Edno-: inside. Epi-: on, over. 

Eu-: good, true. 

Exo-: outer, outside. 

Fusi-: spindle. 

Gameto-: union. 

Glauco-: blue-green, grey, or opaque. 

Gravi-: heavy, 

Gymno-: naked. 

Gyno-: female.

Haplo-: single

Hetero-: different. 

Homo-: the same. 

Hydro-: water.

Hypo-: under. 

Im-/In-/Ir-: not.

Inter-: between.

Iso-: equal.

Ligni-/Lingo-: wood. 

Litho-: stone.

Macro-: large.

Matri-/Matro-: mother. 

Meri-: part.

Meta-: after, later.

Meso-: middle. 

Micro-: small. 

Mono-: one. 

Morpho-: form, shape. 

Myco-: fungus. 

Ont-: being, existence

Ortho-: straight, upright. 

Pachy-: thick. 

Paleo-: ancestral, old. 

Penta-: five. 

Peri-: around. 

Phanero-: visible.

Phello-: bark, cork.

Phyllo-: leaf. 

Phylo-: loving. 

Phyto-: plant. 

Plagio-: oblique. 

Plecto-: twisted. 

Pneumato-: air, breathe. 

Poly-: many

Praten-: of the meadow. 

Pre-/Pro-: before. 

Proto-: first. 

Pseudo-: fake, false. 

Pterido-: fern. 

Pycno-: compact, dense. 

Rhizo-: roots. 

Sarco-: flesh. 

Scalar-: ladderlike.

Schizo-: split. 

Sclero-: hard. 

Siphono-/Soleno: pipe, tube. 

Sporo-: produces spores. 

Sperma-/Spermo-/

Spermato-: seed, sperm. 

Stato-: balance. 

Stomo-: mouth.

Sym-/Syn-: together, with. 

Taxo-/Taxi-: arrangement, order. 

Tetra-: four. 

Thigmo-: touch. 

Tri-: three. 

Uni-: one. 

Xero-: dry. 

Xylo-: relating to a type of wood. 

Zoo-: [of an] animal.

Suffixes

-aceae: denotes a family name. 

-arch: beginning. 

-carp/-carpic/-carpous: fruit. 

-caulous: stalk, stem. 

-cene: recent. 

-chrony/-chronous: time. 

-cot/-cotyl/-cotyledon: cotyledons (seed leaves, ‘first’ leaves). 

-cyte/-cytic: cell. 

-derm/-dermis: skin. 

-dromous: course, running. 

-enchyma: infusion.

-fera: bearing or containing.

-follium: leaves. 

-form: in the form of. 

-gam/-gamy/-gamous: union. 

-gen/-gene/-genous: generating. 

-geny: origin. 

-geous: earth. 

-gynous/-gyny: female.

-iana/ana: turns a proper name into a noun (i.e. Americana, ‘of America’)

-morph/-morphous: form, shape.

-oecium/-oecious: house. 

-oides: resembles.

-phile/-phily: loving. 

-phore: bearing, bearer of. -phyll/-phyllous/-phyllum: [of a] leaf.

-phyta/-phyte: plant. 

-pyle: opening. 

-rhiza/-rrhiza: root. 

-sporous: produces spores. 

-stome/-stomate: mouth. 

-taxis/-taxy: arrangement, order. 

-testa: shell. 

-troph/-trophic: nutrition. 

-tropic/tropism: turn. 

-xylic/-xylic: relating to a type of wood.