Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant NamesNames are important elements to handle the diversity of items in daily life - persons, objects, animals, plants, etc. Without such names, it would be difficult to attach information to such items and to communicate information about them, and names are usually used without giving them much thought. This is not different for plants. When dealing with plants, however, it soon becomes apparent that the situation is somewhat more complex. Botanists use Latin names to bring order into the vast diversity, while everyday usage resorts to vemacular or "popular" names. As practical as these vernacular names are (it is not suggested that you should ask your greengrocer for a kilo gram of Solanum tuberosum or Musa paradisiaca subsp. sapientum), their most important draw back is the fact that they vary widely, not only from one language to another but also from coun try to country, even from region to region within a large country. More importantly, vemacular names in any given language are usually only available for the plants growing locally, or for plants of some special importance, such as crops and vegetables, medicinal plants, or important garden plants. For all other plants, the Latin names used by botanists and other scientists have to be employed. Such names often appear complicated or even awkward to the ears of those not accustomed to them. |
Other editions - View all
Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names Urs Eggli,Leonard E. Newton No preview available - 2010 |
Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names Urs Eggli,Leonard E. Newton No preview available - 2014 |
Common terms and phrases
Adenia Agave Aizoaceae Aloe anthos Antimima application obscure Asclepiadaceae Bolivia Botanical Garden botanist Brachystelma branches Bulbine Cactaceae cacti cactus collector cactus hobbyist Caralluma ceae Cereus Ceropegia Cleistocactus Conophytum corolla corona Coryphantha Crassula Crassulaceae Cylindropuntia Cynanchum Cyphostemma Delosperma Dept Drosanthemum Dudleya Echeveria Echinocereus Echinopsis Eriosyce Euphor Euphorbia fera ferum florus flower colour folius French botanist fruits further data genus German botanist German cactus Gymnocalycium habitat hairy Haworthia horticulturist Hoya Huernia inflorescences Jatropha Kalanchoe Kenya Lampranthus leaf margins leaf shape leaf tips leaves Lithops lobes Madagascar Mammillaria Mexican Mexico Monadenium Namibia naturalist Northern Cape occurrence oides Opuntia Orbea Parodia Pelargonium petal phorbia phyllon physician Pilosocereus plant bodies plant collector Plectranthus Portulaca Prof Prov resembling Rhipsalis Rhodiola Ruschia Sansevieria Sedum Sempervivum Senecio slender South African specialist spination spines spinus spiny Stapelia stem segments succulent plant taxa taxon Tetragonia tuber Tylecodon US-American botanist vernacular name Western Cape Yucca