PLANT CURIOSITIES — A SNAPSHOT
What do those cryptic scientific names mean? This is a small sampling of a handful of the most
common plants that we see in the Reserve. If you find this information useful, look into the more
extensive list that we are working on. This short list is ordered by the “main” common name—
whatever word that we most often invoke. For example, Shaw's Agave is ordered by agave. But
confusion arises quickly. How should we order Black Sage? In the more extensive list, plants are
ordered by their scientific names.
Shaw's Agave, Coastal Agave
Agave shawii var. shawii
Agave, from Greek agauós, noble, illustrious; here referring to the tall flower stalk. In Greek
mythology, Agave was the daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia, and the mother of Pentheus.
shawii, in honor of Henry Shaw (1800–1899), English born industrialist, philanthropist, and
founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Black Sage
Salvia mellifera
Salvia, from Latin salvus, well, unharmed, sound; salveo means “I am well.” Salvia is also
commonly taken to mean to heal or to be healthy, a reference to the medicinal uses of many
species in this genus.
mellif-, from Latin, mel, honey
-fera, from Latin fero or ferre, to bear, to carry
mellifera, honey-bearing, meaning flowers are rich in nectar
Bladderpod
Peritoma arborea (syn. Isomeris arborea)
Peri-, from Greek peri, around
-toma, from Greek tome or tomos, to cut or to section
Peritoma, cut around, a reference to the calyx base being circumscissile
arborea, from Latin arboreus, tree, or tree-like
-meris, from Greek meris, a part
Isomeris, equal parts, referring to the equally divided seed pod
California Buckwheat, Flat-Top Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum
Erio-, from Greek erion, hairy or woolly
-gonum, from Greek gonu, knee
Eriogonum, hairy or woolly joints (of some species of the genus)
fasciculatum, from Latin fasciculus, little bundle
Coast Barrel Cactus, San Diego Barrel Cactus
Ferocactus viridescens
Fero-, from Latin ferus, fierce
Ferocactus, a cactus with fierce, heavy spines
virid-, from Latin viridis, fresh, green
viridescens, greening, becoming green
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Coastal Cholla
Cylindropuntia prolifera (syn. Opuntia prolifera)
Cylindro-, from Greek cylindro, cylinder
-opuntia, referring to the genus Opuntia (see below for Opuntia)
Cylindropuntia, an Opuntia that is cylindrical in shape
prolifera, from Latin proles, offspring, meaning bearing or producing offshoots
Coast Prickly Pear (Cactus)
Opuntia littoralis
Opuntia, referring to Opus, an Ancient Greek city; Opuntia was the name used by Pliny for other
cactus-like plants which grew around the town.
littoralis, from Latin litoralis, of the seashore; litus is shore, seashore.
Wart-Stem Ceanothus, California Lilac, White Lilac
Ceanothus verrucosus
Ceanothus, from Greek keanothus, some spiny plant
verruco-, from Latin verruca, wart
verrucosus, warty, wart-like
California Sagebrush, Coastal Sagebrush
Artemisia californica
Artemisia, the Ancient Greek goddess of forests and hills
californica, of or from California
Chamise, Greasewood
Adenostoma fasciculatum
Adeno-, from Greek aden or adenos, gland
-stoma, from Greek stoma, mouth; figuratively an opening
Adenostoma, gland openings (of the calyx)
fasciculatum, from Latin fasciculus, little bundle
Coyote Brush, Chaparral Broom
Baccharis pilularis ssp. consanguinea
Baccharis, the etymology is uncertain; could be from Latin baccar, bacchar, or baccaris, also in
Greek Bakkaris, name for a plant having a fragrant root; the name could also be from Bacchus, the
Roman god of wine and fertility.
pilu-, from Latin pilus, hair
pilularis, having small hairy globules or balls
consanguinea, from Latin consanguinea, blood relative; here, blood colored
Coastal Deerweed
Acmispon glaber var. glaber (syn. Lotus scoparius ssp. scoparius)
Acmispon, a name chosen by C.S. Rafinesque-Schmaltz, presumably from the Greek akme for a
(high) point, top, or edge
glaber, from Latin glaber, smooth, hairless, glabrous
Lotus, from Latin for flower of forgetfulness; in Latin, lotus or lota also means elegant or
fashionable.
scopar-, from Latin scopare, broom, brush
scoparius, like a broom, broom-like
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Lady Fingers, Mission Dudleya, Fingertips
Dudleya edulis
Dudleya, named after William Russel Dudley (1849–1911), a botanist who became the head of the
Botany Department at Stanford University from 1892 to 1911.
edulis, edible; from the Latin edere, eat.
Lance-Leaf Dudleya, Lanceleaf Liveforever
Dudleya lanceolata
lanceolata, lance-shaped, referring to the leaves.
Laurel Sumac, California Sumac
Malosma laurina (syn. Rhus laurina)
Mal-, from the Latin Malus, apple tree (here, does not mean bad or evil)
-osma, odor, smell
Malosma, having the smell of apple
laurina, from Latin Laurus, bay tree; laurina means like the Laurel.
Lemonadeberry, Lemonade Sumac
Rhus integrifolia
Rhus is the Greek name for Sumac.
integri-, from Latin integritas, completeness; integer or integra (feminine), complete, whole
integrifolia, with complete leaves
The plant is a Sumac with whole, undivided leaves.
Mission Manzanita
Xylococcus bicolor
Xylo-, from Greek xulon, timber and by implication, wood
-coccus, from Greek kokkos, grain or a kernel of seed, the stone of the fruit
Xylococcus, woody seed
bi-, from Latin bi or bis, two or twice
bicolor, two color, referring to the two sides of the leaves
Coast Monkey Flower, Red Bush Monkey Flower
Diplacus puniceus (syn. Mimulus aurantiacus var. puniceus, Mimulus puniceus)
Diplacus, from Greek diploos, double, two-fold; dis is double or twice
puniceus, from Latin puniceus, scarlet, crimson
Mimulus, from Greek mimos, or Latin mimus, mime, actor in mimes
aurantiacus, also aurantius, Latin for orange-colored, the species found more inland
So now there is no more mimicking; this plant has dark red doublet flowers.
Nuttall's Scrub Oak
Quercus dumosa Nutt.
Quercus, the Latin word for oak; possibly derived from Old Celtic quer, fine, and cuez, tree.
dumosa, from Latin dumus, thorny bush
So Quercus dumosa does mean scrub oak.
Coast Spice Bush, Bush-Rue, Berryrue
Cneoridium dumosum
Cneor-, from Greek kneoron, Cneorum or spurge olive, for shrub resembling the olive.
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Cneoridium, a plant that resembles spurge olive.
dumosum, from Latin dumus, thorny bush.
Toyon, Christmas Berry, California Holly
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Hetero-, from Greek hetero, different
-meles, from Greek malus, apple
Heteromeles, possibly referring to the variation of fruits among different species
arbuti-, from Latin arbutus, the strawberry tree Arbutus unedo
arbutifolia, having leaves like the strawberry tree
The leaves of strawberry indeed are long, elliptical, with a serrated margin.
Wild Cucumber, Cucamonga Manroot, Chilicothe
Marah macrocarpus
Marah, meaning bitter from Hebrew; a reference in the Bible to the bitter waters of Marah.
-carpus, from Greek karpos, fruit
macrocarpus, large fruit
A bitter big fruit! But the entire plant is bitter.
San Diego Wreath-Plant
Stephanomeria diegensis
Stephano-, from the Greek stephane, wreath or crown
-meria, from the Greek meros, division, as separated from a larger group
diegensis, of or from San Diego
Felt-Leaf Yerba Santa, Thick-Leaf Yerba Santa
Eriodictyon crassifolium var. crassifolium
Erio-, from Greek erion, hairy or woolly
-dictyon, from Greek diktuon, a net or seine for fishing
Eriodictyon, woolly net, referring mainly to the appearance of the underside of the leaves
crassi-, from Latin crassus, fat, stout
crassifolium, thick leaf
Chaparral Yucca, Our Lord's Candle
Hesperoyucca whipplei (syn. Yucca whipplei)
Hespero-, from Latin hespero or hespera, meaning western.
Hesperoyucca, western yucca (See below for Yucca)
whipplei, named after Lt. Amiel Weeks Whipple by Charles Parry during the U.S.-Mexican
Boundary Survey. Later Whipple was the topographical surveyor in charge of the 1853-4 Pacific
Railroad Survey.
Mohave Yucca, Spanish Dagger
Yucca schidigera
Yucca, a variant of yuca, from the Spanish for cassava in the Caribbean; presumably because Carl
Linnaeus and others confused it with that plant.
schidi-, from Latin schidia or Ancient Greek scheggia, splinter
-gera, has multiple usages, but roughly can mean “making.”
Together, schidigera can mean fiber making.
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