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English equivalents of Latin names of species

English equivalents of Latin names of species

Plants may have one or more common names, which are like nicknames, but they only have one botanical name (which is also called a Latin name, scientific name or technical name). The botanical name of a plant consists of two words, the genus name (generic word, common to the entire group or genus), followed by the the species name (specific or particular word, designating the given species).  The species name is often somehow descriptive of the plant, or where it was found, or derived from someone's name.  So for example, ''Briza maxima'' is the large briza, ''B. minor'' the small briza, and ''B. media'' the intermediate briza. ''Abies sibirica''; the Siberian abies, is a geographic example, while ''A. Fraseri'', Fraser's abies, is commemorative.  

Plants may have one or more common names, which are like nicknames, but they only have one botanical name (which is also called a Latin name, scientific name or technical name). The botanical name of a plant consists of two words, the genus name (generic word, common to the entire group or genus), followed by the the species name (specific or particular word, designating the given species).  The species name is often somehow descriptive of the plant, or where it was found, or derived from someone's name.  So for example, ''Briza maxima'' is the large ''Briza'', ''B. minor'' the small ''Briza'', and ''B. media'' the intermediate ''Briza''. ''Abies sibirica''; the Siberian ''Abies'', is a geographic example, while ''A. fraseri'', Fraser's ''Abies'', is commemorative.  

Although the species-word is not always designative and is sometimes even inapplicable, nevertheless the student is aided if he knows what the word means in English translation; and the following list is inserted to supply this knowledge for characteristic Latin or Latinized descriptive adjectives (in some cases nouns in the genitive or in apposition) applied to the species of plants. These words are likely to be used in differing meanings in different genera and as applied by different authors; in many cases, they do not follow the usages of classical Latin: therefore a list of this kind cannot be exact or give all the meanings in which the words may be applied as specific names. The generic names (the first word in the combination) need not be listed here, for they are not adjectives of description but made-up substantives; and, moreover, their origins are explained at the entries in the text.

Although the species-word is not always designative and is sometimes even inapplicable, nevertheless the student is aided if he knows what the word means in English translation; and the following list is inserted to supply this knowledge for characteristic Latin or Latinized descriptive adjectives (in some cases nouns in the genitive or in apposition) applied to the species of plants. These words are likely to be used in differing meanings in different genera and as applied by different authors; in many cases, they do not follow the usages of classical Latin: therefore a list of this kind cannot be exact or give all the meanings in which the words may be applied as specific names. The generic names (the first word in the combination) need not be listed here, for they are not adjectives of description but made-up substantives; and, moreover, their origins are explained at the entries in the text.