JARS 42n4 - Names Of Plants: Sense and Sound - Part Three
Names Of Plants: Sense and Sound - Part Three
Theo Smid, Hayward, California
"Names of Plants: Sense and Sound - Part Three" continues with a listing of rhododendron species and other ericaceous genera beginning with C and D. Part One was found in the ARS Journal , Vol. 42:1, Winter 1988; Part Two in ARS Journal , Vol. 42:2, Spring 1988. The series will continue in future issues.
An explanation of the system of accents used and botanical notation is found in Part Two. Briefly, the grave accent indicates a long stressed syllable, the acute accent a short stressed syllable.
The plant name is followed by the name (usually abbreviated) of the author of the earliest valid citation. The meaning of the name and information about plant explorers and/or plant namesakes follows.
Abbreviations:
Ch.= Chinese
G. = Greek
L. = Latin
Sp.= Spanish
r. = rhododendron
Rhododendron Species — C
R. caèsium
Hutch (Lat. bluish-gray)
R. caespitòsum
Wernh. (Lat. tufted)
R. calendulàceum
(Michaux) Torrey (of the color of
Calendula
) Flame Azalea; first mentioned by Cadwallader Colden, 1799; in Cherokee: Sky-Paint Flower
R. callimórphum
Balf.f. & W.W. Sm. (G.
kallos
beautiful +
morphos
shape) Ch. "ovate-leaved r."
var.
myiágrum
(Balf.f. & Forr.) Chamb. (G.
muiagros
fly-catcher, i.e. sticky pedicels)
R. calophỳtum
Franch. (G.
kallos
beautiful +
phuton
plant) Ch. "beautiful-face r."
var.
openshawiànum
(Rehd. & Wils.) Chamb. (of Rev. Harry Openshaw of Yachou Fu, near Chengtu; fu = village)
R. calosánthes
Sleumer (G. beautiful +
anthos
flowers)
R. calostròtum
Balf.f. & Ward (G. beautiful +
strotos
spread, covered) Ch. "beautiful-covering r."
ssp.
keléticum
(Balf.f. & Forr.) Cullen (G.
keletikos
charming)
Rádicans Group (L. rooting)
ssp.
ripàrium
(Ward) Cullen (L. at a river-bank)
var.
riparioìdes
(Cullen) R.C. Fang (resembling
R. rìparium
) Ch. "Xuelong beautifully-clad r."
R. calvéscens
Balf.f. & Forr. (L. becoming bald, i.e. thin, detersile indumentum below)
var.
duseìmatum
(Balf.f. & Forr.) Chamb. (G.
duseimatos
meanly-clad)
R. camelliiflòrum
Hook. f. (with flowers like
Camellia
)
R. campanulàtum
D. Don (L. bell-shaped) Ch. "bell-flowered r."
ssp.
aeruginòsum
(Hook f.) Chamb. (L. very rusty, i.e. colored)
R. campylocárpum
Hook. f. (G.
kampulos
bent, curved +
karpos
fruit) Ch. "curved-fruit r."
Elàtum Group (L. elevated, tall)
ssp.
caloxánthum
(Balf.f. & Farrer) Chamb. (G.
kallos
beautiful +
xanthos
yellow)
Telòpeum Group (G.
telopos
seen from afar, i.e. conspicuous)
R. campylogỳnum
Franch. (G.
kampulos
bent +
gune
ovary) Ch. "bent-style r."
Célsum Group (L. elevated)
Charopoèum Group (G.
charopos
causing joy)
Cremástum Group (G.
kremastos
hanging)
Myrtilloides Group (resembling Myrtle)
R. camtscháticum
Pallas (of the Kamchatka Peninsula)
R. canadénse
(L.) Torrey (of Canada) Rhodora; described by Linnaeus in 1762 as
Rhodora canadense
; introduced to Eng. in 1767 by Sir Joseph Banks
R. canéscens
(Michaux) Sweet (L. hoary) Piedmont or Florida Pinxter Azalea. Pinxter or Pinkster is derived from the Greek for Pentecost; discovered by Mark Catesby c. 1730
var.
cándidum
Small (L. white); may be only a form
R. capéllae
Kores (of Mt. Capella, New Guinea)
R. capitàtum
Maxim. (L. headed, i.e. with flowers in a head) Ch. "head-flower r."
R. cárneum
Hutch. (L. like flesh, i.e. in color) Ch. "flesh-colored r."
R. càrrii
Sleumer (of Cedric E. Carr of NZ., 1892-1936, who collected orchids in s.e. Asia, Borneo, New Guinea)
R. carringtóniae
F. V. Mueller (of Lady Carrington, wife of the British representative in New Guinea)
R. carstenénse
Wernh. (of Mt. Carstensz, w. cent. New Guinea, at 16,400 ft. the highest peak on any island)
R. catacósmum
Balf.f. ex Tagg (G.
katakosmein
to adorn)
R. catawbiénse
Michx. (of the Catawba R., S.C., from Choctaw
katapa),
intr. 1809
R. caucáskum
Pallas (of the Caucasus), intr. 1803
R. celébicum
(Blume) de Candolle (of Celebes, now Suwalesi, Indonesia)
R. cephalánthum
Franch. (G.
kephale
the head +
anthos
flower) Ch. "hairy-throated r."
ssp.
platyphýllum
(Franch. ex Balf.f. & Smith) Cullen (G.
platos
broad +
phullon
leaf) Ch. "broad-leaved r."
Crebreflòrum Group (L. crowded flower)
R. cerasìnum
Tagg (L. cherry-colored) When he found it Kingdon Ward called it "coals-of-fire." Ch. "cherry r."
R. cérnuum
Sleumer (L. nodding)
R. chamaèpitys
Sleumer (G. on the ground +
pitus
pine-tree)
R. chamaethomsónii
(Tagg & Forr.) Cowan & Davidian (G. on the ground +
R. thomsonii
)
var.
chamaedòron
(Tagg & Forr.) Chamb. (G. on the ground +
doron
gift)
var.
chamaethaùma
(Tagg) Cowan & Davidian (G. on the ground +
thauma
a wonder)
R. champíonae
Hook, (of the wife of the discoverer, Lt.-Col. John G. Champion, 1815-1854, who collected in Ceylon, Hong Kong) Ch. "bristly r."
Championia
Gardner
R. charítopes
(ka-) Balf.f. & Farr. (G. lit. graceful of aspect) Ch. "pretty-face r."
ssp.
tsangpoénse
(Ward) Cullen (of the Tsangpo R., so. Tibet) Curvistýlum Group (L. curved style)
R. chihsiniànum
(gee-sheen-) Chun & Fang (of Chiehsien, Guangxi Prov.) Ch. "Longsheng r."
R. chlòrops
Cowan (G. lit. green eye, i.e. greenish base of the flower) uncertain species
R. christíanae
Sleumer (of the mother of Rev. N.E.G. Cruttwell; see
R. cruttwellii
)
R. chrístii
Foerster (of Konrad H. Christ, 1833-1933, famous fern-specialist in Basel, Switz.)
R. chrýseum
Balf.f. & Ward (G. & L. golden-yellow) Ch. "golden r."
R. chrysocàlyx
Le'veille' et Ventenat (G.
chrusos
gold + calyx) Ch. "golden-calyx azalea"
R. chrysodòron
Tagg ex Hutch. (G. gold +
doron
gift; a double entendre: color of flower and gift to Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh by the Earl of Stair) Ch. "pure-yellow r."
R. chrysólepis
Hutch. & Ward (G. gold +
lepis
scale)
R. chuniénii
(In Mandarin initial ch, r, sh and zh are pronounced with the tip of the tongue curled back and pressed against the roof of the mouth.) Chun & Fang, (of Ho Chunnien, professor of South China Botanical Institute; information from Kunming Institute of Botany) Ch. "golden-scale r." The attributions of this species and several others were supplied by the Kunming Institute of Botany, The Academy of Sciences of China.
R. chúnii
Chun & Fang (of Chun Woon-young, b. 1894, professor & director of South China Botanical Institute) Ch. "persistent-style r." (Azalea)
R. ciliàtum
Hook. f. (L. fringed with hairs) Ch. "eyelash r."
R. ciliicàlyx
Franch. (L. with a fringed calyx) Ch. "ciliate calyx r."
R. ciliilòbum
Sleumer (L. & G. fringed lobe)
R. cilíipes
Hutch. (L. fringed foot, i.e. pedicel)
R. cinchoniflòrum
(sin-ko-) Sleumer (Cinchona-flower, i.e. Quinine)
R. cineráscens
Sleumer (L. becoming ash-colored)
R. cinnabarìnum
Hook. f. (L. cinnabar-red) Ch. "Cinnabar r."
ssp.
tamaénse
(Davidian) Cullen (of Tama Bum, no. Burma)
ssp.
xanthocòdon
(Hutch.) Cullen (G.
xanthos
yellow +
kodon
bell)
Concátenans Group (L chained together)
Pállidum Group (L. pale)
Purpure'llum Group (L. a little purple)
Roýlei Group (of John F. Royle, 1798-1858, M.D. Munich, surgeon E. India Co., Bengal; curator, Saharunpur Garden; professor of Materia Medica, King's Coll., London; sec'y Horticultural Society of London)
Roylea Wall.
R. circinnàtum
Cowan & Ward (L. forming a circle, i.e. flexible branches)
R. citriniflòrum
Balf.f. & Forr. (L. with lemon-yellow flowers)
var.
horaèum
(Balf.f. & Forr.) Chamb. (L. seasonal) Ch. "gorgeous r."
R. citrìnum
Haask. (L. of citron, i.e. color)
R. clementìnae
Forr. (ofClementine,wife of George Forrest) Ch. "pock-marked r."
R. codonánthum
Balf.f. & Forr. (G.
kodon
bell +
anthos
flower)
R. coèlicum
Balf.f. & Farrer (L. heavenly)
R. coeloneùrum
Diels (L. engraved vein) Ch. "pocked-leaf r."
R. coelòrum
Wernh. (L. of the heavens)
R. collettiànum
Aitch (of Sir Henry Collett, 1836-1901, Col., Bengal Army; on retirement worked at Kew on his
Flora Simlensis
, 1902; collected in Afghanistan, Algeria, Burma, Canary Islands, Corsica, India, Java, Spain; plants at Kew);
Neocollettia
Hemsley.
R. comísteum
Balf.f. (G.
komisteos
to be protected)
R. cómmonae
Foerster (of the author's wife)
R. commutatàtum
Sleumer (L. changed)
R. comparábile
Sleumer (L. worthy of comparison)
R. compléxum
Balf.f. &VV.W. Sm. (L. interwoven)
R. cómptum
C.H.Wright (L. adorned)
R. concinnoìdes
Ward, (similar to
R. concinnum
)
R. concínnum
Hemsl. (L. neat) Ch. "elegant r."
R. coriàceum
Franch. (L. leathery) Ch. "leather-leaf r."
R. córnu-bòvis
Sleumer ("after the top of Mt. Nok = Dutch
Buffelhoorn
, i.e. a horn of a buffel, on Waigeo Island," Sleumer); off the n.w. coast of New Guinea
R. correoìdes
J.J. Smith (resembling
Correa
, Australian shrubs and trees,
Rutaceae
)
R. coryànum
Tagg & Forr. (of Reginald Cory, 1871-1934, who collected plants in S. Africa,West Indies, Atlas Mts.; financed expeditions to China; benefactor of Cambridge Botanic Garden and library of the Royal Horticultural Society)
R. còryi
Shinners (azalea collected by V.L. Cory in Tyler Co., Tex., in 1950); it may be a variety of
R. viscosum
.
R. cowaniànum
Davidian (of John Macqueen Cowan, 1892-1960, supt. Royal Botanic Garden Calcutta; collected in Sikkim, Bengal, Burma, Iran; authority on taxonomy of
Rhododendron; Rhododendron Leaf
, 1950, and others)
R. crassifòlium
Stapf (L. thick leaf)
R. crenulàtum
Hutch, ex Sleumer (Neo L. dim. of
crena
notch)
R. crinígerum
Franch. (L. hair-bearing) Ch. "long-coarse-hair r."
var.
euadènium
Tagg & Forr. (G.
eu-
good +
aden
gland)
R. cruffwéllii
Sleumer (of Rev. Norman E.G. Cruttwell, MA. Oxon., missionary and plant-collector in New Guinea)
R. cryptophýllum
Wernh. (G.
kruptos
hidden +
phullon
leaf)
R. cuffeànum
Craib ex Hutch, (of Lady Wheeler Cuffe, who discovered it in Burma)
R. culminícolum
F. v. Mueller (L. summit-dwelling)
R. cuneàtum
W.W. Sm. (L. wedge-shaped, i.e. leaves)
R. curvifíòrum
J.J. Sm. (L. curved-flower)
R. cuspidéllum
Sleumer (L. with a small point)
R. cyanocárpum
(Franch.)W.W. Sm. (G.
cuanos
a dark-blue substance, blue forget-me-not, Pliny, 21, 47, +
karpos
fruit) Ch. "blue-fruited r."
R. cyatheìcolum
Sleumer (G.
kuathos
a cup, the hollow of the hand + L. dwelling)
R. cyrtophýllum
Wernh. (G.
kurtos
curved +
phullon
leaf)
Rhododendron Species — D
R. dalhoùsiae
Hook.f. (of Christina Ramsay, Countess of Dalhousie, Edin. 1786-1839, wife of the 9th Earl of Dalhousie, Commander-in-chief, East Indies; she collected in Penang and Nova Scotia) Dalhousie, a place in Himachal Pradesh, N. India;
Dalhousiea
Graham
var.
rhabdòtum
(Balf.f. & Cooper) Cullen (G.
rhabdos
a rod, i.e. allusion to the conspicuous red stripes)
R. dasycladoìdes
Handel-Mazzetti (see
R. selense
ssp.
dasycladum
)
R. daùricum
L. (of the Daurs of Dahuria on the Lena R.) cult. 1780 Ch. "Xing 'an r."
Sempérvirens Group (L. evergreen)
R. davídii
Franch. (of Père Jean-P. Armand David, Fr. Lazarist missionary in China; discovered 58 birds, c. 100 insects and several mammals, including the giant panda and the Père David deer. The latter became extinct in China, but the Dukes of Devonshire developed a herd at Woburn Abbey and in 1985 sent some to a new park in China. The first
Davidia involucrata
in 1869. Père David sent c. 3,000 spp. of plants to France from China.) Ch. "glandular-fruit r."
R. davidsoniànum
Rehd. &Wils. (of Dr. W.H. Davidson of the Friends Mission in China) intr. 1903 Ch. "concave-leaf r."
R. decòrum
Franch. (L. ornamental) intr. 1904 Ch. "great-white r."
R. degroniànum
Carriêre (of M. Degron, Dir. of French Posts, Yokohama, 1869)
ssp.
heptámerum
(Maxim.) Hara (G.
hepta
seven +
meros
part)
var.
hondoènse
(Nakai) Hara (of Hondo, e.cent. Kyushu Isl., Japan)
var.
kyomaruénse
(Yamazaki) Hara (of Kyomaru, Hiroshima Prefecture)
f.
amagiànum
Hara (of Mt. Amagi, Japan)
ssp.
pentámerum
(Maxim.) Hara (G.
penta
five + part); formerly
R. metternichii
. This species has been in taxonomic flux. See Hiroshi Hara,
Journal of Japanese Botany
, Vol. 61 #8, Aug. 1986 245-47, and D.F. Chamberlain & Frank Doleshy, Vol. 62 #8, Aug. 1987 225-42.
R. dekatànum
Cowan (of Dekata, s.e. Tibet)
R. delicátulum
Sleumer (L. a little delicate)
R. dendrícola
Hutch. (G.
dendron
tree + L. dweller)
Taronénse Group (of the Taron Gorge, Yunnan)
R. dendrócharis
Franch. (G. tree +
charis
grace) Franchet noted that it grew
ad truncos putridos
, at rotted trunks; cf.
R. petrocharis
) Ch. "tree-growing r."
R. denudàtum
Lévl. (L. bare, stripped)
R. detérsile
Franch. (L. clean, from
detergere
to wash)
R. detzneriànum
Sleum. (of H. Detzner, in 1914 with the Kaiser Wilhelm Land Boundary Commission in New Guinea)
R. dianthósmum
Sleum. (carnation-scented)
R. diaprèpes
Balf.f. & W.W. Sm. (G. lit. distinguished) Ch. "noble r."
R. dichroánthum
Diels (G.
di-
two,
chro-
color,
anthos
flower) Ch. "bicolored r."
ssp.
apodéctum
(Balf.f. &W.W. Sm.) Cowan (G. lit. acceptable) Ch. "gratifying r."
ssp.
scyphocàlyx
(Balf.f. & Forr.) Cowan (G.
skuphos
a cup + calyx)
ssp.
septentrionàle
Cowan (L. northern)
R. dielsiànum
Schlechter (of Friedrich L.E. Diels, 1874-1945, Ger. botanist)
R. dignábile
Cowan (L. amiable)
R. dilatàtum
D. Don apud G. Don (L. spread out, i.e. flowers) apud here = with.
R. dimidiàtum
Balf.f. (L. divided in two)
R. dimítrium
Balf.f. & Forr. (G.
di-
two +
mìtra
band, headband, i.e. calyx)
R. diphrocàlyx
Balf.f. (G.
diphros
bearing two + calyx, i.e. a wide, flat calyx)
R. disterigmoìdes
Sleumer (resembling
Disterigma
, i.e. the leaves)
R. dumícola
Tagg. & Forr. (L. thicket-dweller)
R. durionifòlium
Beccari (foliage of
Durio zibethinus,
Durian, a large tree in w. Malay Archipelago)
Other Ericaceous Genera — C
Callùna
Salisbury (G.
kallunein
to brush or sweep, i.e. for brooms made from its twigs) 1 sp. Eur., Asia Minor, naturalized in N. Amer. Ling, Scottish Heather (ME
hadder
, Norse
heithr
)
C. vulgàris
Hull (L. common) Fr.
Bruyère, Ger. Besenheide
, It.
Bréntoli, Grecchia, Sp. Brezo
; many cvs.
C. hypnoìdes
(L.) D. Don (resembling
Hypnum
, a moss) intr. 1798
C. lycopodioìdes
(Pallas) D. Don (resembling
Lycopodìum
, Club Moss), cult. 1933
C. mertensiàna
(von Bongard) G. Don (of Franz K. Mertens, 1754-1831, Ger. botanist), White Heather; Cal. mts. no. to Alaska, Mont. John Muir often referred to it as his favorite flower.
C. selaginoìdes
Hook. f. & T. Thomson (resembling
Selaginella
, Little Club Moss or Spike M.) intr. 1820
C. tetragòna
(L.) D. Don (G.
tetra
four +
gonu
knee, i.e. four-angled)
Cassìope
D. Don (The name was chosen by David Don because Linnaeus had previously named the related Bog-Rosemary after her daughter Andromeda. Cassiope boasted that she was fairer than the Nereids. At their request Neptune sent a monster to ravage the country. His wrath could be appeased only by exposing Andromeda.) 12 spp. circumboreal, Himal., Eur.
C. fastigiàta
(Wall.) D. Don (L. branches erect and close together) intr. c. 1819
Cavendíshia
Lindley (named for William G. Spencer, 6th Duke of Devonshire, 1790-1858; president, Horticultural Society of London, 1838-58; Chatsworth Gardens) c. 100 spp. trop. Amer. A few forms are cultivated as ornamentals.
Chamaedáphne
Moench (G.
chamai
on the ground +
daphne
laurel) 1 sp. no. temp, circumpolar
C. calyculàta
(L.) Moench (G. & L. calyx-like), Leatherleaf, Cassandra, cult. 1748
var.
angustifòlia
(Ait.) Rehd. (L. narrow-leaf) Canada & U.S.
var.
latifólia
(Ait.) Fernald (L. broad-leaf) Canada
Other Ericaceous Genera — D
Daboècia
D. Don (named for St. Dabeoc [different spelling], an early Irish saint) 2 spp. Ireland to Sp. & Azores. St. Dabeoc's Health, Irish Heath
D. azòrica
Tutin & E.F.Warburg (of the Azores)
D. cantábrica
(Huds.) C. Koch (of Cantabria, ancient name of western Pyrenees) cult. 1800 many varieties, natural and cultivated
Dimorphánthera
(Drude) F. v. Mueller ex J.J. Sm. (G.
di-, morph-
form, + anther) 67 spp. Mai. esp. New Guinea.
D. kempteriana
(Woods 2101), an evergreen liana with an effect similar to that of
Bougainvillea
, was introduced to Britain in 1968.
D. amblyornidis
var.
moorhousiana
is similar. Rev. Cruttwell has called these plants the most beautiful of the
Rhododendron
relatives.
Disterígma
(Klotzch) Niedenzu (G.
di-
two +
sterigmos
a setting firmly) c. 25 spp. trop. Andes
