FLOWER NAMES

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22465, 28 July 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

FLOWER NAMES

(By Winifred Chapman)

; Legend, folk-lore, ancient customs, voyages of discovery and adventure have all had a part in the naming of flowers. Sometimes , a supposed resemblance, to familiar objects, such as parts of birds or animals, or even articles, has beep responsible for both the popular and botanical names. In different countries, even in different parts of the same country, quite dissimilar names may be used of the same plant. In order to assure a certain amount of accuracy, a system of nomenclature- for plants has been evolved by which they will be recognised in all parts of the world,. Whatever name may be used in local speech the Plant has one official name by which botanists can identify it. This simplifies the matter for botanists, while complicating it somewhat for people • who .have “little Latin. and less. Greek, ’ but who love the flowers for their own sakes. The popular names which we use are really rather like nicknames, and since many have their origin in the mists of antiquity, they should also be preserved, Officially, all plants are divided into families, due to similarity of

certain parts of the various plants included. They are then given the family name, like our surnames, the only difference being that with plants, this is placed first, and a capital letter is always used for it. The second name, the long name, Js written without capitals as a rule, and if we happen to know its meaning, tells U s a good deal about the plant concerned. This is the specific name. Some of the botanical names are purely descriptive either of the plant or the flower, and sometimes of supposed likenesses. ‘ For example, myosotis. the official name of the forget-me-not, indicates the suoposed resemblance of the leaf to the ear of a mouse. If we were always addressed by all our Christian names how dreary life would be! Most people rather rdieice in a nickname. So we will also hope to keep in use the picturesque old name by which we can talk happily together of garden flowers. , , . Flowers, such as the pheasantreye narcissus, the wild hyacinth, the iris, the poppy, the cornflower

, , f (cyahus) are the subjects of old classical legend. Among the names which arose from folk-lore and which have become corrupted in speech with the passage of time, are such as-foxgloves (folks’ glove), and marigold (iparygold). Then there are associations with the animal world, for example, catmint, which we all know cats like to lie on.' The dog’s eye daisy, or the ox-eye daisy, is another example cf this kind of natoe. the old name for wild geranium? bears out a resemblance to the bird kingdom. Very many names of flowers have been given in honour of. persons, sometimes that of the discoverer of a new flower or species, or some distinguished botanist. Thus damia was named after a Dr. Dahl, a Swedish botanist. Fuchsia is a namesake of Dr. Fuchs, Lobelia of Lobel, Wistaria of Dr.. Wistar/ It is quit- the usual thing for the name of the finder of a new plant to be attached to the specific_or Christian name given to distinguish it from others. For instance, the beautiful lily, called Ldium Henryi, is named after Dr Henry, who found in it China. There are countless instances of this.