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Genus: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
HAEMANTHUS (G)
Paintbrush, Powderpuff (Le)
Family: AMARYLLIDACEAE
(h)aima, = blood;
haem-, haemat-, = blood red;
anthos, = a flower, the bloom of a flower.
(red colour of flower in many species)
(LS, BL, Le)
HAEMOTOMMA (La)
Lichen ()
Family: LECANORACEAE
(h)aima, = blood;
haematodes, = looking like blood, blood red;
omma, = the eye; metaphorically, ‘anything dear or precious’.
(LS)
HAKEA
Hakea (Le)
Family: PROTEACEAE
For Baron Christian Ludwig von Hake (1745-1818).**
(Ch)
HALLERIA
Tree Fuchsia, Notsung (Le)
Family: STILBACEAE
For Albrecht von Haller (1708-1777).**
(Ch)
HAPLOCARPHA (G)
Fire Arctotis (Wf) Baster Gousblom (Le)
Family: ASTERACEAE
apalos, = soft, tender, gentle, delicate;
carphos, = any small dry body.
carpha, = scale.
(pappus soft)
OR
(h)aplos-, = simple, one-fold;
haplo-, = single;
carpos, = fruit.
(the pappus is uniserrate)
(LS, BL, Le, K3)
HARVEYA
Ink Flower, Inkblom (Le)
Family: OROBANCHACEAE
For William Henry Harvey (1811-1866).**
(Ch)
HEBENSTREITIA
Slugwort, Slakblom (Le)
Family: SCROPHULARIACEAE
For Johann Christian Hebenstreit (1720-1791).**
(Ch)
For Oswald von Heer (1809-1883).**
(Ch)
HELICHRYSUM (G)
Strooiblom (Le) Strawflower (Wf)
Family: ASTERACEAE
(h)elios, = the sun;
chrysos, = gold.
(only some species have yellow flowers)
(LS, Le)
HELICTOTRICHON (G)
Oat Grass (Le)
Family: POACEAE
(h)elix-, = rolled, twisted, winding, spiral;
helic-, = coiled, spirally twisted;
thrix, = the hair both of man and beast; sheep’s wool.
trich-, tricho-, = hairy or hair-like;
(twisted awns)
(LS, BL, Le)
HELIOPHILA (G)
Sunflax (Wf) Sporrie (Le)
Family: BRASSICACEAE
(h)elios, = the sun;
philios, = loving, friendly, kind.
(the plant favours a sunny position)
(most species only open in sunlight)
(LS, Le, LB)
For Hellmuth Steudel, the son of of Ernest Gottlieb von Steudel (1783-1856).**
(Ch)
HELMINTHOTHECA (G)
Oxtongue (Int)
Family: ASTERACEAE
helminths, = a parasitic worm;
thece, = a case to put anything in, a box, chest.
helminthothca, = worm case, describing fruit.
(Int, LS)
(h)emi, = half;
arthron, = a joint, especially the socket of the joint.
(Ox, LS)
HEMIMERIS (G)
Yellow Faces, Geelgesiggie (Le)
Family: SCROPHULARIACEAE
(h)emi-, = half;
meros, = part, share, portion.
(allusion unclear)
(the flower is cut away on one side, that is, lacking a spur)

(Ox, LS, Le, Cl)
HERMANNIA
Doll's Rose, Poprosie (Le)
Family: MALVACEAE
For Paul Hermann (1646-1695).**
(Ch)
HERMAS
Tinderleaf (Wf) Tontelblaar (Le)
Family: APIACEAE
W.P.U. Jackson proposed that it might commemorate Hermas, the 1st or 2nd century author of the work called The Good Shepherd, a work treated with great authority in ancient times and ranked with the Holy Bible, but there is no evidence for this. This genus Hermas in the Apiaceae was published in 1771 by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus.
(Ch)
HESPERANTHA (G)
Hesperantha, Aandblom (Le)
Family: IRIDACEAE
Hesperus, = the spirit of the evening star, said to be the son or brother of Atlas;
(evening)
anthos, = a flower, the bloom of a flower.
(flowers of many species open towards evening)
(Pg, BL, LS, Le)
HETERODERMIA (G)
Lichen ()
Family: PHYSCIACEAE
(h)eteros, = other (than usual), different, of other kind;
(different, other, uneven)
derma,= the skin, hide.
(LS, BL)
HETEROLEPIS (G)
Rock Daisy (Wf) Rotsgousblom (Le)
Family: ASTERACEAE
(h)eteros, = other (than usual), different, of other kind;
(different, other, uneven)
lepis, = a scale, husk, shell.
(scale (of fish, snake), flake)
(bracts of various lengths)
(LS, BL, Le)
(h)eteros, = other (than usual), different, of other kind;
(different, other, uneven)
pogon, = the beard.
(LS, BL)
HIBISCUS (La, G)
Hibiscus, Wildestokroos (Le)
Family: MALVACEAE
hibiscus, hibiscum, ebiscum, = the marsh-mallow.
From the Greek hibiskos. Possibly from ibis, stork, which fed on some species of mallow.

(ld, Le)
HIPPIA (La, G)
Rankals (Le)
Family: ASTERACEAE
This was either the title of the Roman goddess Minerva/Athene** and others; or the name of some unknown botanist (W.P.U Taylor);
hippo, = horse;
-ius, = means 'characteristic of', hence indicates connexion or resemblance.
(Ch, Ox, BL)
histos, = the web-beam of the loom, the loom, the web;
pteron, = a feather, wings;
(referring to the network of veins)
(LS, BL, Le)
HOLOTHRIX (G)
Thread Orchid, Typhia (Co)
Family: ORCHIDACEAE
h)olos, = whole, entire, complete, whole, undivided;
(entire, complete, whole, undivided)
thrix, = the hair both of man and beast; sheep’s wool.
(refers to the very hairy leaves and scape of the type H. cernua, which is the type of the conserved generic name)
(LS, BL, Co)
HORDEUM (La)
Wild Barley (Le)
Family: POACEAE
hordeum, = barley (from Sanscrit ghars, ‘to rub, grind’.
(ld)
HUPERZIA
Clubmosses (Le)
Family: LYCOPODIACEAE
For Johann Peter Huperz (1771-1816).**
(Ch)
HYDROCOTYLE (G)
Pennywort (Le)
Family: ARALIACEAE
(h)ydor, (h)yderos, = water of any kind;
(water)
cotule,= a small cup or vessel;
cotulis, = a small cup.
(small cup, anything hollow)
(preferred habitat is damp places and leaf is somewhat cup-shaped)
(LS, BL, Le)
HYMENOLEPIS (G)
Basterkaroo (Le)
Family: ASTERACEAE
hymen, = a skin, menbrane;
(thin skin, membrane)
lepis, = a scale, husk, shell.
(scale (of fish, snake), flake)
(involucral bracts)
(LS, BL, Le)
HYMENOPHYLLUM (G)
Filmy Ferns (Le)
Family: HYMENOPHYLLACEAE
hymen, = a skin, menbrane;
(thin skin, membrane)
phyllon, = a leaf.
(filmy ferns)

(LS, BL, Le)
HYOBANCHE (G)
Red Broomrape, Katnael, Wolwekos, Skilpadblom (Le) Cat's Claws (Wf)
Family: SCROPHULARIACEAE
(h)us, (h)uos-, = a swine, pig, boar or sow;
agchone, = throttleing, strangling, hanging; a rope for hanging, halter.
ancho, = strangle; hence ‘–anche’, as ending of names of poisonous plants.
(a term used for plant parasites that eventually kill their hosts)
(LS, BL, Le)
HYPARRHENIA (G)
Thatching Grass (AB)
Family: POACEAE
(h)yper, = over, above;
arrhen, = the male.
(male flower is borne under a bi-sexual flower)
(LS, Le)
HYPNUM (G)
Moss ()
Family: HYPNACEAE
(h)ypnos, = sleep, slumber.
(ancient custom of using this moss as a filler for cushions and pillows)
(LS, Cl)
(h)upo, = under, beneath;
(below, under, beneath)
kalyptra, = a mantle or veil.
(large bracts under which the young flowers are hidden)
(LS, BL, Le)
HYPOCHAERIS (G)
Cat's Ear (Le)
Family: ASTERACEAE
Greek name for 'succory' from
hypo, =, under, beneath;
choiros, = young pig.
(predeliction pigs have for the roots)
(Le, BL, LS)
(h)upo, = under, beneath;
(below, under, beneath)
diskos, = a round plate, quoit.
(lobed disc that crowns the ovary in some species)
(LS, BL, Le)
HYPODONTIUM (G)
Moss ()
Family: POTTIACEAE
(h)upo, = under, beneath;
(below, under, beneath)
odon, ontos, odons, = a tooth;
-ium, = diminutive; -little.

(LS, BL)
HYPOLEPIS (G)
Fern Group (Le)
Family: DENNSTAEDTIACEAE
(h)upo, = under, beneath;
(below, under, beneath)
lepis, = a scale, husk, shell.
(scale (of fish, snake), flake)
(LS, BL)