The ball-shaped lettuce of today is a derivitive species (Lactuca sativa). Most plants are poisonous. It's often asked why plants have difficult to remember Latin names when their common name is far easier to recall. By Katie Avis-Riordan All plant names have a story to tell. Humans have cultivated those few that were edible and nutritious or good tasting, and have selectively bred them over thousands of years for a variety of traits including size, flavor, and color. The plant has tall stalks with elongated leaves, yellow flowers and feathery seeds. What is the purpose of latin plant names? A formal naming system was developed to uniquely and meaningfully identify every plant. The ancestors of the Plant family brought their name to England in the wave of migration after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Even the term 'Latin name' isn't strictly correct as many plant names are derived from other languages, including Greek and native ancient languages. Adonis was a handsome youth loved by the goddess Aphrodite. In English the herb is known as cleavers or bedstraw – we think Madara is quite a bit prettier! Weird and wonderful plant names The stories behind fun plant names revealed, from a famous movie villain to a Victorian tree-climbing theory. The Origin of Cultivated Fruits and Vegetables. Sacred to : Aphrodite (the plant was associated with impotency) Mythology : Death of Adonis. To read more about the pronunciation of scientific names (including some of the various schools of thought), turn to page xxxvii of A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina, and check out the links below:. How plants get their names. In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binominal nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages.Such a name is called a binomial name … The first two come from figures out of Greek mythology. Though The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland cites me [] as the source of information for the meaning plant 1, I personally would place a little less emphasis on the possible meaning 'gardener'.That said, this 2006 Dictionary does list other possibilities, unlike some of its predecessors. A few names on this list will fascinate those interested in the derivation of plant names: Achillea millefolium, Adonis amurensis, and Bougainvillea. The name Plant is for a gardener as the name was originally derived from the Old English word plant meaning plant, or young tree. the Etymology of plant names,* I now bring to your notice the names of Timber-trees. A 2016 Surname Dictionary. For the vast number of horticulturalists, gardeners, and plant lovers interested in the origin and derivation of plant names, this book will be an invaluable reference. Linden: Derived from the Old High German linta, this name means “linden tree.” M. Madara: This Latvian name comes from a type of flowering plant. Both their scientific and common labels are rich in meaning, often revealing the history, uses or myths of a species. This universally adopted system has rules that govern how these names are officially assigned and updated. California Plant Names: Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations — A Dictionary of Botanical Etymology Our tree-names possess an especial interest, arising from the fact that many of them are of great antiquity. 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