NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN FOR JUNE 20, 2015
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UNDERSTANDING LATIN NAMES FOR PLANTS PART #2
BY GEORGE EDGAR
When I write about pesticides I try to
list the active ingredient as well as the brand name. Do you know there
are 10 different formulations of Round-Up with the active ingredient of
“glysophate”? They are
labeled Round-Up but at different strengths and some have other
chemicals with them. There are also other brands with “glysophate” as
the active ingredient such as Kleenup, Ferti-lome, and Ortho. The point
is, read the label; use the active ingredient name to make sure you get
the right product, with the right concentration you want. With plants,
use the scientific name to make sure you have the right plant, and then
put it in the right place.
Many of you, like me, have not taken a class in Latin. With
frequent use and repetition, however, the names do eventually sink in.
If you keep the tag that comes with your new plant, or tree, or shrub,
or the package of seeds, you can learn the scientific name and be able
to get exactly the same plant or seed next year, even if you are in
Vermont, or Texas, or Oregon, or Nebraska. Also, if you order by catalog
or the internet, using the scientific name you will be assured of
getting the seeds or plant you really want.
In part #1, I shared the history of the use of Latin names for
plants. Today I want to share the meaning of some common Latin words
that can help you know more about your plants, trees, and shrubs. This
list was prepared by Dr. Cindy Haynes, Department of Horticulture, and
Iowa State University and reprinted by permission from “Horticulture and
Home Pest News”, Iowa State University, July 23, 1999.
For more
information see:
Dictionary of Plant Names:
The pronunciation, derivation, and
meaning of
botanical names and their common-name equivalents by Allen J.
Coombes, Timber Press, Inc.
Gardener's Latin by Bill Neal,
Algonquin Books.
How Plants Get Their Names
by L.H. Bailey, Dover Publications.
Copyright 2015 |