The a to Z of Plant Names: A Quick Reference Guide to 4000 Garden Plants by Allen Coombes Page A

Gk. golden, knee (yellow flowers, jointed stems).
bonnet bellflower
Codonopsis clematidea
borage
Borago officinalis
. dwarf
B. pygmaea
Borago L. (Boraginaceae). bo-
rah
-goh. Possibly from Lat. hairy garment, referring to the hairy shoots and leaves. 3 spp. herbs. Eur., Africa, Asia.
officinalis L. o-fis-i-
nah
-lis. Borage. Lat. sold as a med. herb. S Eur., N Africa, W Asia.
pygmaea (DC.) Chater & Greuter.
pig
-mee-uh. Dwarf borage. Lat. dwarf. S Eur.
Boston ivy
Parthenocissus tricuspidata
bottlebrush
Callistemon
. weeping
C. viminalis
Bougainvillea Comm. ex Juss. (Nyctaginaceae). bue-guhn-
vil
-eeuh. After French explorer Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville (1729–1811). 18 spp. climbers. Trop. Am.
× buttiana Holttum & Standl. but-ee-
ah
-nuh. After Mrs R. V. Butt, who brought it from Cartagena, Colombia, to Trinidad in 1910.
B. glabra
×
B. peruviana.
Cult.
glabra Choisy.
glab
-ruh. Lat. glabrous (the leaves). Brazil.
spectabilis Willd. spek-
tab
-i-lis. Lat. spectacular. Brazil.
bouncing Bet
Saponaria officinalis
Bouteloua Lag. (Poaceae). bue-tuh-
lue
-uh. After Esteban Boutelou (1776–1813), Spanish botanist. 40 spp. grasses. Americas.
curtipendula (Michx.) Torr. kurt-ee-
pen
-dew-luh. Sideoats grama grass. Lat. short, drooping (the flower spikes). N and S Am.
dactyloides (Nutt.) J. T. Columbus. dak-til-
oy
-deez. Buffalo grass. Like
Dactylis
. Canada, USA, Mex.
gracilis (Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths.
gras
-i-lis. Blue grama grass. Lat. slender (the stems). Canada, USA, Mex.
Bouvardia Salisb. (Rutaceae). bue-
var
-dee-uh. After Charles Bouvard (1572–1658), French chemist and physician to Louis XIII. 20 spp. shrubs. Trop. Am.
ternifolia (Cav.) Schltdl. tern-i-
foh
-lee-uh. Lat. with leaves in threes. SW USA, Mex.
bower plant
Pandorea jasminoides
box, Balearic
Buxus balearica
. Christmas
Sarcococca
. common
Buxus sempervirens
. sweet
Sarcococca
box elder
Acer negundo
Brachyscome Cass. (Asteraceae). brak-i-
skoh
-mee. Gk. a short head of hair, from the short pappus. 80 spp. herbs. Australia, NZ.
iberidifolia Benth. i-be-ri-di-
foh
-leeuh. Swan River daisy. Lat. with leaves like
Iberis
. W and S Australia.
Brachyglottis J. R. & G. Forst. (Asteraceae). brak-ee-
glot
-is. Gk. short tongue (referring to the short ray florets). 40 spp. shrubs. Australia, NZ.
compacta (Kirk) B. Nord. kom-
pak
-tuh. Lat. compact. NZ (N.I.).
monroi (Hook.f.) B. Nord. mon-
roh
-ee. After Sir David Monro (1813–1877), Scottish-born NZ politician. A shepherd, RoderickMcDonald, collected the type specimen for him. NZ (S.I.).
bramble
Rubus fruticosus
brass buttons
Cotula coronopifolia
Brassica L. (Brassicaceae).
bras
-i-kuh. Lat. name of the cabbage. 40 spp. herbs. Eur., N Africa, Asia.
hirta Moench.
hur
-tuh. White mustard. Lat. hairy. Medit., W Asia.
juncea (L.) Czerniak.
jun
-see-uh. Chinese mustard. Lat. rush-like. E Asia.
napus L.
nah
-poos. Rape. Lat. turnip. Cult. Napobrassica Group . nah-poh-
bras
-i-kuh. Swede. Lat. turnip cabbage.
nigra (L.) W. D. J. Koch.
nie
-gruh. Black mustard. Lat. black (the seeds).
oleracea L. ol-uh-
ray
-see-uh. Wild cabbage. Lat. vegetable-like. Eur. Acephala Group . ay-
kef
-uh-luh. Kale. Lat. without a head. Botrytis Group . bo-
trie
-tis. Broccoli, cauliflower. Gk. like a bunch of grapes. Capitata Group . kap-i-
tah
-tuh. Cabbage. Lat. with a head. Gemmifera Group . gem-
i
-fe-ruh. Brussels sprouts. Lat. bearing buds. Gongylodes Group . gon-gil-
oh
-deez. Kohlrabi. Gk. swollen (the tuber). Italica Group . i-
tal
-i-kuh. Sprouting broccoli. Lat. Italian.
rapa L.
rah
-puh. Lat. turnip. N Africa. Rapifera Group . ra-
pi
-fuh-ruh. Turnip. Lat. bearing turnips. Pekinensis Group . pee-kin-
en
-sis. Chinese cabbage. Of Peking.
Brazilian plume
Justicia carnea
briar, Austrian
Rosa foetida
. Austrian copper
R. foetida
‘Bicolor’. sweet
R. rubiginosa
bridal wreath
Francoa sonchifolia
Brimeura Salisb. (Asparagaceae). brie-
mew
-ruh. After Marie de Brimeur, 16th-cent. French gardener. 3 spp. bulbous