Tower and Town, June 2026 (view the full edition)Naming Of PlantsAre you bamboozled by the Latin names of plants? Are you fed-up with the know-alls who spout the Latin names of plants every time they are on a garden visit? But do they really know the meaning and derivations of these names which can give wonderful insight into the characteristics and mythology of these plants? Centuries ago each plant was known by a long descriptive sentence. Then Caspar Bauhin (1560-1624) devised a plan of adopting two names only for each plant. But it was not until the great Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus (1707-1778) undertook the task of methodically naming and classifying the whole living world 'from buffaloes to buttercup' that the dual name system became permanently established. Many of our common garden plants have fascinating derivations and stories behind their Latin or Greek names. Some examples are: Aquilegia vulgaris - English name Columbine. Aquilegia is from the Latin aquila meaning eagle as the flower spurs are supposed to resemble an eagle's claw. The English name is derived also from Latin columba meaning a dove as the flowers resemble a gathering of doves. Lavandula vera - English name Lavender. Derived from the Latin 'lavo' to wash as Romans and Greeks were said to use lavender in their baths. Pulmonaria officinalis - English Lungwort. From the Latin 'pulmo' meaning lungs. This plant was regarded as a remedy for diseases of the lungs. Passiflora caerula - English name Passion Flower. From the Latin 'passus' meaning suffering or loss, and 'flos' meaning flower. Roman Catholic priests in South America found features of the Crucifixion story in the flowers to illustrate the bible stories to the native Indians. The five stamens were the five wounds; the three stigmas, the three nails; the style of the pistil, the flogging column; the corona, the crown of thorns; the fringed leaves, the hands of the crowd; the coiled tendrils, the flogging cords; the five sepals and five petals, the ten disciples (Peter and Judas were omitted in the count). This information has come from a fascinating little book called Plant Names Simplified by A.T. Johnson and H.A. Smith which I obtained many years ago. It was first published in 1931 by Landsmans Bookshop Ltd, and has been reprinted many times. I believe the last edition was published in 2019. A secondhand edition can be obtained online from Better World Books or a new edition from Amazon. It is well worth getting hold of a copy, and I am sure you will find it really interesting. You will certainly be able to 'top trump' any of your show-off friends with your amazing knowledge about the names of plants. Stella Maxwell |