Plant names can be confusing to the layman. There are scientific and common names that are used to identify plants. Read below to become an expert on plant names!
How to Read a Scientific Plant Name
Let’s look at the Margarita B.O.P. Beardtongue (common name) or Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’ (scientific name.)
The first word, Penstemon, is the genus. A genus is a group of plants that are in the same family. Heterophyllus is the specific epithet. A specific epithet or a species is the second word in a plant name, often a descriptor. For example, heterophyllus means different leaves in Latin on the same plant. A species is one plant in a genus. The third word in single quotes is a cultivar. A cultivar is a plant hand-selected from a species that looks different from the original. This is often due to a change in flower color or leaf shape.
The genus and species are always in italics when typed, and the cultivar is always in single quotes.
Scientific and Common Names
Plants have scientific names in Latin to make them accessible globally. Many Latin names are descriptors of the plant’s appearance, which helps when identifying. For example, many variegated plants have the word aureus in their plant name. Aureus means gold in Latin, referring to the color of the leaves or flowers.
A great example is the variegated Daphne, or Daphne odora ‘Aureomarginata.’ Daphne is the genus, odora is the specific epithet meaning fragrant, and the cultivar, ‘Aureomarginata,’ means golden on the margins of the leaves.
Common names can be confusing, but they are more accessible. They are confusing because one name can refer to several plants. We all may know common names like daisies, pansies, and marigolds. But these common names can refer to many species.
