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Appendix Latin Words Frequently Used in Species Names Here are some Latin words frequently used in species’ names. Once you understand what the terms mean, it will be easier to remember the name. For example, if you know rugosa means "wrinkled", you’ll have no trouble distinguishing rugosa roses, with their wrinkled leaves, from other roses. Remember that Latin words often end in -is, -us, -a, or -um, so pay most attention to the root of the word, for example rugos-. These terms describe plant parts or characteristics: aestiv- of summer (ex. flowering in summer) alatus having winged parts alba or albus white alternifolius with leaves arranged alternately amabilis lovely (ex. beautybush = Kolkwitzia amabilis) angustifolius narrow-leaved annuus annual argent- silvery aureo- golden or yellow biennis biennial caeruleus blue candidus glossy, bright white -arpus refers to the fruit of a plant chrys- golden coccineus scarlet red compactus growing smaller than average for the genus cordatus heart-shaped dioicus having male and female flowers on separate plants divaricatus straggly, sprawling erectus upright erythro- red filamentosus having filaments or threads floribundus, floridus having showy and/or abundant flowers -flora refers to the flowers of a plant -folius refers to the leaves of a plant fragrans fragrant or sweet-smelling frutescens, fruticans, or fruticosus shrubby or bushy glaber, glabra smooth or hairless glaucus covered with a waxy coating or "bloom" gracilis graceful or slendergrandi- large hirtus, hirta, hirsutus covered with stiff, bristly hairs humilis low-growing or dwarf lact- milky--can describe color or sap latifolius with broad leaves leuc- white lucens, lucidus bright, shining lute- yellow macro- very large maculatus spotted micro- very small mollis soft or covered with soft hairs montanus native to mountain habitats nigr- black or very dark niv- refers to snow or snow-white odor- fragrant officinalis refers to plants with medicinal properties opacus dark or dull pallidus pale palmatus having palmate (hand-like) leaves palustris native to swamps and marshes patens, patulus spreading pend- drooping perennis perennial -phyllus refers to the leaves of a plant platy- broad plicatus pleated plum- feathery or fringed pulch- pretty pumilus small or dwarf punctatus spotted pungens sharp-pointed purpureus purple repens, reptans creeping rhiz- refers to the roots of a plant robustus stout or strong roseus pink rotund- rounded rubr- red rugosus wrinkled sanguin- blood-colored sativus cultivated (e.g. food crops or herbs) sempervirens evergreen speciosus, spectabilis showy stolonifera spreading by stolons strictus narrow, upright sylv- native to woodlands tenui- slender or thin tomentosus densely covered with wooly hairs tuberosus producing tubers veris, vernalis flowering in early spring verticillatus with leaves or flowers arranged in whorls villosus covered with soft hairs -virens, virid- green viscosus sticky vulgaris common xanth- yellow These terms usually indicate a plant’s native region: boralis northern canadensis Canada chinensis China indicus India japonicus Japan koreanus Korea nipponicus Japan occidentalis native to western hemisphere orientalis native to the Far East persicus Persia (Iran) sinensis China