Genera within a family

Family: 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

LAMIACEAE (G, La)
Mint Family (Wf)

lamia, = a fabulous monster said to feed on man’s flesh, a vampire, a bugbear to children.
lamia, = a witch who was said to suck children’s blood, a sorceress, enchantress.
(LS, ld)

LEONOTIS (G)
Wild Dagga, Minaret Flower (Le)

leōn, = a lion;
- ous, otis, = ear.
(one floret supposed to resemble a lion’s ear)
(LS, Le)

MENTHA (La)
Mint (Le)

menta, mentha, = mint.
(from the nymph Minthe, (Menthe).**
(ld, Le)

SALVIA (La)
Sage, Salie (Le)

salvus, salve, = well, in good health, in good condition or circumstances;
salvia, = the herb sage;
-ium, = ‘characteristic of’, hence indicates connection or resemblance.
(healing or medicinal properties of some species)
(ld, BL, Le)

STACHYS (G)
Woundwort, Teebos (Le)

stachys, = ear of corn.
(in modern botany, ‘spike’)
(a spike)

(LS, BL, Le)

CLERODENDRUM (G)

kleros, = a lot; a casting lots, drawing lots;
dendron, = a tree.
(The Ceylonese ‘chance-tree’; alludes to a native legend that the trees possessed medicinal properties, and also to the uncertainty of the medicinal properties of the different species)

(LS, Cl)