| Themes > Science > Botanical Sciences > About Botany, Generalities > Plant Taxonomy History > Flower Name Meanings |
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There are three forms of each Latin (or Greek) based word because in Latin and Greek, adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify. In this case, the nouns they modify would be the genus names of the plants. If the Latin genus name of the plant is masculine, the species name or adjective used is masculine (generally, ending in "us"). Asparagus is a masculine noun. Asparagus densiflorus is a densely flowered asparagus plant. If the noun is feminine, it requires a feminine adjective (usually signified in this list by an "a" ending). Pinus is the Latin word for a fir tree. Despite the "us" ending, pinus is feminine. A densely flowered fir tree would be Pinus densiflora. Neuter nouns in Latin often have a "um" ending. So do the adjectives that modify them. Lilium is a neuter plant name (lily). Lilium longiflorum is a lily with long flowers. Sometimes there is only one ending. Begonia is a feminine flower name, but the ever popular, ever flowering species is Begonia semperflorens because there is only one form of the adjective for ever-flowering. abundiflorus (copious flowers) abundiflora abundiflorum acutiflorus (sharp pointed flowers) acutiflora acutiflorum albiflora albidiflorus (whitish flowers) albidiflora albidiflorum alterniflorus (alternating flowers) alterniflora alterniflorum ampliflorus (large flowered) ampliflora ampliflorum angustiflorus (narrow flower) angustiflora angustiflorum auriflorus (earlike flowers) auriflora auriflorum axilliflorus (flowers in axils [axilla - armpit]) axilliflora axilliflorum bifloriformis (two flowered form) bifloriformis bifloriforme biflorus (two flowered) biflora biflorum breviflorus (short flowered) breviflora breviflorum cauliflorus (flower on the stem [caulis - stem of a plant]) cauliflora cauliflorum confertiflorus (densely flowered) confertiflora confertiflorum congestiflorus (crowded flowers) congestiflora congestiflorum coniflorus (conical flowers) coniflora coniflorum corymbiflorus (flowers in corymbs [clusters of fruit or flowers]) corymbiflora corymbiflorum crenatiflorus (notched flower) crenatiflora crenatiflorum curviflorus (curved flower) curviflora curviflorum densiflorus (densely flowered) densiflora densiflorum floribundus (profusely flowering) floribunda floribundum floricomus (hairy flowers) floricoma floricomum floridulus (somewhat flowering) floridula floridulum floridus (flowering} florida floridum florifer (flower bearing) florifera floriferum floriger (flower bearing) florigera florigerum florosus (abundantly flowered) florosa florosum florulentus (abundantly flowered) florulenta florulentum florus (flowered) flora florum geminiflorus (flowers paired) geminiflora geminiflorum gibbiflorus (humped flower) gibbiflora gibbiflorum gilviflorus (pale yellow flower) gilviflora gilviflorum grandiflorus (large flowered) grandiflora grandiflorum hirtiflorus (hairy flowered) hirtiflora hirtiflorum lactiflorus (milky flower) lactiflora lactiflorum laxiflorus (loose flowers) laxiflora laxiflorum longiflorus (long flowers) longiflora longiflorum milleflorus (thousand flowered) milleflora milleflorum minutiflorus (small flowered) minutiflora minutiflorum multiflorus (many flowers) multiflora multiflorum naniflorus (dwarf flowered) naniflora naniflorum nodiflorus (flowers from nodes) nodiflora nodiflorum nudiflorus (naked flowering) nudiflora nudiflorum pallidiflorus (pale flowered) pallidiflora pallidiflorum parviflorus (small flowered) parviflora parviflorum pauciflorus (few flowered) pauciflora pauciflorum planiflorus (flat flowered) planiflora planiflorum pluriflorus (more flowers) pluriflora pluriflorum pubiflorus (hairy flowers) pubiflora pubiflorum pulchriflorus (beautifully flowered) pulchriflora pulchriflorum ramiflorus (flowers on older branches) ramiflora ramiflorum remotiflorus (withdrawn flower) remotiflora remotiflorum rostriflorus (beaked flower) rostriflora rostriflorum rotundiflora (round flower) rotundiflora rotundiflorum sanguiniflorus (blood red leaves) sanguiniflora sanguiniflorum secundiflorus (flowers on one side) secundiflora secundiflorum semperflorens (ever flowering) semperflorens semperflorens sessiliflorus (stalkless flowers) sessiliflora sessiliflorum simpliciflorus (simple flowered) simpliciflora simpliciflorum sparsiflorus (sparsely flowered) sparsiflora sparsiflorum tardiflorus (late flowering) tardiflora tardiflorum tenuiflorus (slender flower) tenuiflora tenuiflorum thyrsiflorus (flowers in a thyrse [stalks multiply branched]) thyrsiflora thyrsiflorum triflorus (three flowered) triflora triflorum tubiflorus (tubular flower) tubiflora tubiflorum uniflorifer (bearing one flower) uniflorifera unifloriferum uniflorus (one flowered) uniflora uniflorum villiflorus (hairy flowers) villiflora villiflorum viridiflorus (green flowered) viridiflora viridiflorum |
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