• Click Genus name to view all species in that genus.
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
LACHENALIA
Lachenalia, Viooltjie (Le)
Family: HYACINTHACEAE
For Professor Werner de Lachenal (1736-1800).**
(Ch)
LACHNAEA (G)
Mountain Carnation, Bergangalier, Letjiesbos (Le)
Family: THYMELAEACEAE
lachnē, = soft woolly hair, down, the soft nap or pile on cloth, sheep’s-wool;
-eus, = indicates material or colour or resemblance in quality.
(downy calyx)

(LS, BL, Le)
LACHNOSPERMUM (G)
Gifknoppies (Le)
Family: ASTERACEAE
lachnē, = soft woolly hair, down, the soft nap or pile on cloth, sheep’s-wool;
sperma, = that which is sown, seed.
(LS, BL)
lactuca, = lettuce.
(from lac, = milk; the milky latex exuding from the plant when crushed)

(ld, Le)
LAGURUS (G)

Family: POACEAE
lagos, = a hare;
(hare-, mostly with reference to rough furriness like a hare’s foot or tail)
-urus, = tailed, i.e. with an elongated or tail-like appendage.
(spikelets of woolly heads)
(LS, BL, Le)
LAMPRANTHUS (G, La)
Lampranthus (Wf) Vygie (Le)
Family: AIZOACEAE
lampro-, = bright, brilliant, radiant;
anthos, = a flower, the bloom of a flower.
(LS)
LANARIA (La)
Cape Edelweiss, Perdekapok (Le)
Family: LANARIACEAE
lana, = wool;
-arius, = indicates connexion or possession.
lanarius, = of or belonging to wool, wool-.
(woolly flower)
(ld, BL, Le)
LANTANA
Lantana, Tickberry, Gomdagga (Le)
Family: VERBENACEAE
(North Italian dialect name for Viburnum, which the leaves resemble somewhat)
(Le)
LAPEIROUSIA
Lapeirusia, Cabong (Le)
Family: IRIDACEAE
For Philippe Picot de Lapeyrouse (Lapeirouse) Baron de Bazus (1744-1818).**
(Ch)
LASALLIA (G, La)
Lichen ()
Family: UMBILICARIACEAE
For a gardener-botanist named Lasalle.**
(Ch)
LAUREMBERGIA
Water Milfoil (Le)
Family: HALORAGACEAE
For Peter Lauremberg (1585-1639).**
(Ch)
laurus, = a bay-tree, laurel-tree, laurel, sacred to Apollo; Lauridia sacred to ‘Daphne’**);
-idia, = dimunitive.
(ld, Le, BL)
LAUROPHYLLUS (La, G)
Ystermartiens (Le)
Family: ANACARDIACEAE
laurus, = a bay-tree, laurel-tree, laurel, sacred to Apollo; Lauridia sacred to ‘Daphne’**);
phyllon, = a leaf.
(‘laurel’ – resemblance of leaves)

(ld, LS, Le)
LAVATERA
Tree Mallow (Le)
Family: MALVACEAE
For the Lavater brothers, Johann Heinrich (1611-1691) and Johann Jacob? (1594-1636).**
(Ch)
LEBECKIA
Ganna (Le)
Family: FABACEAE
For a Mr. H.J. Lebeck (1772 - 1800).**
(Ch)
LEONOTIS (G)
Wild Dagga, Minaret Flower (Le)
Family: LAMIACEAE
leōn, = a lion;
- ous, otis, = ear.
(one floret supposed to resemble a lion’s ear)
(LS, Le)
LEPIDIUM (G)
Pepper wort, Pepper Weed, Peperbossie (Le)
Family: BRASSICACEAE
lepis, = a scale, husk, shell;
(scale (of fish, snake), flake)
-idium, = diminutive.
(the small pods)
(LS, BL, Le)
LEPRARIA (G)
Lichen ()
Family: LICHENES IMPERFECTI
lepros, = scaly, righ; leprous, mangy;
-arius, = indicates connection or possession.
(LS, BL)
LEPTOGIUM (G)
Lichen ()
Family: COLLEMATACEAE
leptos, = peeled, cleaned of the husks: - hence, generally, thin, fine, slender, delicate: or thin, lean, meagre; slightly; subtly;
(slender, thin, narrow)
ge, gea, geo-, = earth, land;
-ium, = characteristic of, resemblance.
(LS, BL)
LEPTOSPERMUM (G)
Australian Myrtle (Le)
Family: MYRTACEAE
leptos, = peeled, cleaned of the husks: - hence, generally, thin, fine, slender, delicate: or thin, lean, meagre; slightly; subtly;
(slender, thin, narrow)
sperma, = that which is sown, seed.
(LS, BL)
LESSERTIA
Balloon Pea, Blaasertjie (Le)
Family: FABACEAE
For Jules Paul Benjamin de Lessert (1773-1847).**
(Ch)
LEUCADENDRON (G)
Conebush, Sunshine Protea, Tolbos (Le)
Family: PROTEACEAE
leucos, = white, gray, hoary;
dendron, = a tree.
(the silver tree, L. argenteum, the species on which the genus name was based)

(LS, Le)
leucos, = white, gray, hoary;
loma, = the hem or border of a robe.
(with white legumes)
(LS, K3)
LEUCOSPERMUM (G)
Pincushion, Luisiesbos (Le)
Family: PROTEACEAE
leucos, = white, gray, hoary;
sperma, = that which is sown, seed.
(LS)
LICHTENSTEINIA
Kalmoes (Le)
Family: APIACEAE
For Martin Heinrich Karl von Lichtenstein (1780-1857).**
(Ch)
LIMONIUM (G)
Sea-Pink, Papierblom (Le)
Family: PLUMBAGINACEAE
limus, = slime, mud, mire;
leimon, = meadow;
-ium, = ‘characteristic of’, hence indicates connection or resemblance.
lemōnion, = sea lavender.
(many species grow in salt marshes)
(ld, BL, Le)
LINUM (G)
Flax (Le)
Family: LINACEAE
linon,= flax.
linum, = flax.
(a name used by Theophrastus.**)
(LS, Ws, Le)
LIPARIA (G, La)
Mountain Pea (Le) Widowphlox (Wf)
Family: FABACEAE
lipos, = grease, fat, lard, oil;
-arius, = indicates connection or possession.
liparos, = oily, shining.
(leaves)
(LS, BL, Le)
LIPARIS (G)
Fly Orchid (Le)
Family: ORCHIDACEAE
lipos, = grease, fat, lard, oil;
-alis, -aris, = belonging or pertaining to, resembling, provided with.
liparos, = oily, shining.
(refers to the smooth, glossy appearance of the flowers in many species)
(LS, BL, Co)
LOBARIA (G)
Lichen ()
Family: STICTACEAE
lobos, = the lobe or lower part of the ear;
(capsule or pod)
-arius, = indicates connection or possession.
(LS, BL)
LOBELIA
Lobelia (Wf)
Family: LOBELIACEAE
For Mathias de L'Obel (1538-1616).**
(Ch)
LOBOSTEMON (G)
Bush Bugloss (Wf) Agdaegeneesbos (Le)
Family: BORAGINACEAE
lobos, = the lobe or lower part of the ear;
(capsule or pod)
stemon, = thread, the warp in the upright loom; a thread spun.
(in modern botany, stamen)
(filaments opposite to the corolla lobes)
(LS, BL, Le)
LOLIUM (La)
Rye Grasses (Le)
Family: POACEAE
lolium, = darnel.
(Latin name for ryegrass.)
(ld, Le)
lonche, = a lance, spear, javelin;
stoma, = mouth, also the whole face.
(lance-shaped petals and sepals of some species)
(LS, Le)
LOPHOCOLEA (G)
Moss ()
Family: GEOCALYCACEAE
llophos, = crest, tuft of hair; a cock’s comb;
coleus (culleus), = a sheath, a leather bag, a sack for holding liquids.
(LS, ld)
LOTONONIS (G)
Lotononis (Le)
Family: FABACEAE
Combination of two generic names LOTUS (q.v.) + ONONIS.
onos, = an ass; something useful.
“In the 4th century B.C., Theophrastus** produced the first botanical description of restharrow. In the first century A.D., Dioscorides and Pliny described the use of the plant as a remedy for urinary complaints and stones. In the later writings of Roman antiquity, Galen referred to the effect of ononis on increasing urine flow and decreasing the size of urinary stones. Lonicerus wrote: “This herb is the most excellent of stone-herbs which flushes out the stone and urine in man and animals, which is why it is also called stone-root.”
(http://www.avogel.ch/en/plant-encyclopaedia/ononis_spinosa.php)
(Le)
LOTUS (G)
Trefoil (Le)
Family: FABACEAE
lotos, = lotus.
The term lotos used by Theophrastus** for the legendary fruit eaten by the lotophagi, which produced forgetfulness and dreamy contentment.
The Greek lotus, a kind of clover or trefoil, on which horses fed.
The Cyrenean lotus or jujube, an African shrub, the fruit of which was eaten by certain tribes on the coast, hence called Lotophagi; the fruit was honey-sweet, in size as large as the olive, and in taste resembling the date.
The Egyptian lotus, the lily of the Nile.
There was also a lotus-tree growing in Africa, distinguished by its hard, black wood, of which flutes were made; hence 'lotos' is used poetically , for a flute.
(LS, Le, LS)
LYCIUM (G)
Honey Thorn (Le)
Family: SOLANACEAE
lykion, = name of a thorny shrub from Lycia in Asia Minor.
Lykion, = the Lyceum, a gymnasium with covered walks in the Eastern suburbs of Athens, named after the neighbouring temple of Apollo Lyceios (wolf slayer, or the god of day).
lukos, = a wolf.
Lyce, = light, the god of day.
(Le, LS)
LYCOPODIELLA (G)
Running Clubmosses (Le) Ferns (PS)
Family: LYCOPODIACEAE
lukos, = wolf;
pous, podos, = a foot;
-ella, = diminutive.
(the rhizomes resemble a wolf’s paw)
(derives from the related LYCOPODIUM, + ella)
(LS, BL, Le, Ro)
LYCOPODIUM (G)
Clubmosses (Le) Ferns(PS)
Family: LYCOPODIACEAE
lukos, = wolf;
pous, podos, = a foot;
-ium, = ‘characteristic of’, hence indicates connection or resemblance.
(the rhizomes resemble a wolf’s paw)
(LS, BL, Le)
LYPERIA (G)
Widow's-Phlox, Traanblommetjie (Le)
Family: SCROPHULARIACEAE
lype, = grief, distress, suffering, sad plight;
luperos, = painful;
-ium, = ‘characteristic of’, hence indicates connection or resemblance.
(LS, BL)
lysis, = a loosing, setting free, release;
mache, = a quarrel, strife.
lysimachos, = ending strife.
Tradition relates that when Lysimachus, King of Thrace in Asia Minor (306-281 BCE), was chased by a bull he waved a plant of this genus to pacify the animal, thus releasing himself from strife.
Lysimachos (360-281BC)**.

(LS, I10, Ch)
LYTHRUM (G)
Loosestrife, Pride of India (Le)
Family: LYTHRACEAE
lythron, = filth, defilement, especially of blood; gore, impure blood.
(black blood; flower colour of some speies)
(LS, Le)