Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Blogs and Diaries => Topic started by: ian mcdonald on August 29, 2014, 02:31:51 PM
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Does anyone know of a good book explaining what the latin botanical names of our native plants mean. I have been asked to recommend a book but have not come across a useful one. There is one by Stearn but I have not seen it and wonder how relevant it is in the UK.
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Stearn's "Botanical Latin" is indeed the best known and I suspect, most used book on this subject.
There are some handy online sources too - starting with the Univ. of Missouri search pages : http://www.mobot.org/mobot/LatinDict/search.aspx (http://www.mobot.org/mobot/LatinDict/search.aspx)
next is one compiled by forumist Jim Shields to help with plant biology terms : http://www.shieldsgardens.com/info/Glossary.html (http://www.shieldsgardens.com/info/Glossary.html)
A brief guide to terms in this article :Botanical Nomenclature Guide: The Meaning Of Latin Plant Names http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/latin-plant-names.htm?utm_source=ReviveOldPost (http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/latin-plant-names.htm?utm_source=ReviveOldPost)
http://davesgarden.com/guides/botanary/ (http://davesgarden.com/guides/botanary/) is another online search facility
A couple of other books :
The A to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants
By Allen J. Coombes ISBN-10: 1604691964 ISBN-13: 9781604691962
Timber Press Product code: 689196
http://www.timberpress.com/books/z_plant_names/coombes/9781604691962 (http://www.timberpress.com/books/z_plant_names/coombes/9781604691962)
Latin for Gardeners
Over 3,000 Plant Names Explained and Explored
By Lorraine Harrison Published 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-00919-3
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/pressReleases/2012/October/1210harrisonprs.html (http://www.press.uchicago.edu/pressReleases/2012/October/1210harrisonprs.html)
There's another little pocket book whose name escapes me meantime......
Hope this may be of use so far
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Stearn's "Botanical Latin" is indeed the best known and I suspect, most used book on this subject.
There is another by Stearn, also excellent -
Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners, (Cassell, 1994)
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this helps me often :
http://www.winternet.com/~chuckg/dictionary.html (http://www.winternet.com/~chuckg/dictionary.html)
Hans
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There's another little pocket book whose name escapes me meantime......
Possibly "Plant Names Simplified" by Johnson and Smith, ISBN: 900513 04 7, first published by Landsmans Bookshop Ltd in 1931 and reprinted many times since.
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In case anyone wants to know about bird names in latin......
Latin for Bird Lovers
by Roger Lederer (Author), Carol Burr (Author)
Publisher: Timber Press (May 6, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1604695463
ISBN-13: 978-1604695465
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I use dave's garden plant files and haven't found anything better
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/ (http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/)
Search for a plant and then click the info link after the pronunciation guide (which I don't always agree with, but that's another story) after the name.
For example:
Anigozanthos
Meaning: From the Greek anises (unequal) and anthos (flower); referring to the division of the floral tube into six unequal parts
Pronunciation: an-ih-go-ZAN-thos
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I use A Dictionary of the Flowering Plants and Ferns by J C Willis. Cambridge University Press. Abe books has it for sale for about 10.00 dollars American plus postage.
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That's a good suggestion, Vivienne - into it's "umpteenth" edition now since it was first published , it's a staple - which I'm ashamed to say I don't own - will remedy that!