Latin 101

In 1753, in his book titled "Species Plantarum", Swedish botanist Carl von Linné initiated a new system of naming plants, adopting Latin as the system's official language. Latin was chosen since it was no longer spoken and therefore not evolving and changing as languages tend to. The book and other works by von Linne were penned under the (Latin) name Carolus Linnaeus.

Prior to Linnaeus, plants were named somewhat at random. Names usually included many if not all of the identifying features of the plant. For that reason, the names were usually very long and unwieldy.

Today, both plants and animals (flora and fauna) use binomial nomenclature (meaning two names) for "official" identification. The larger classification hierarchy reads like this:

Genus and species are the two main identifiers. Any further names (variety, cultivar or hybrid) follow the two main designations. The names tell us the:

• Genus — A group that shares at least one common characteristic.  That characteristic is commonly the makeup of the reproductive organ — the flower. The genus name is always capitalized and it is usually a noun.



• Species — This further links genetic characteristics — a key here is the potential to cross-pollinate. The species name is always in lowercase and is usually an adjective. A subspecies is a regional variant of a species and is denoted by the letters subsp. or ssp.

Often other names are attached:

• Variety and form — notes other characteristics occurring naturally.  Varieties almost always reproduce true from seed. (Artificially pollinated plants most likely wil not).



• Cultivar — a characteristic created artificially; the cultivar name is capitalized and enclosed by single quotes. 



• Hybrid — a new plant created by crossing two species, indicated by a lower case letter x between the two species names.

Example:
Juniperus (genus) horizontalis (species) 'Bar Harbor' (cultivar)

Common names for plants abound. But these names, although quite descriptive, also tend to be very regionalized. When and if you really need to know exactly which plant you're talking about, the Latin name is the one to know. The Latin name will be on the plant tag.

Besides being a method of universal identification, the Latin names do mean something. Plant attributes and origins are described in the name. Some of these plant characteristics may not be obvious on the plant tag, some are. Knowing a little Latin might help you when making a future purchase. It's also worth noting that planting and care requirements are basically the same within plant families.

A brief list of some common Latin names and what they mean include:

By the way, Lagerstroemia indica is perhaps better known as crape myrtle. Now who said Latin is a dead language?