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
FABACEAE (La)
Pea Family (Wf)
faba, = a bean; more correctly, perhaps, horse-bean.
(ld)
amphi-, = on both sides, around;
thallos, = a young shoot or branch, twig.
amphithales, = blooming on both sides: hence flourishing, rich.
(flowering all around the stem)
(LS, Le)
argyreos, (άρλύρεοσ), = silver, of silver;
argyr-, (άρλύρ-), = silver-;
lobos, = the lobe or lower part of the ear;
(capsule or pod);
-ium, = ‘characteristic of’, hence indicates connection or resemblance.
(LS, BL)
ASPALATHUS (G)
Cape Gorse (Wf)
a-, = intensive (very much);
spaleis = pass. part. of stello;
stello = get ready; to fit oneself out; to be dressed, decked.
aspalathos, = a scented shrub.
(What plant is referred to in the early quotations is not certainly known. Johnson gives as his first definition, ‘A plant called the rose of Jerusalem or our lady’s rose.’)
(LS, Ox)
BOLUSAFRA (La)
Tar Pea (Wf) Teer-Ertjie (Le)
For Harry Bolus F.L.S. (1834 – 1911),** English-born South African botanist, businessman, and founder of the Cape Town Bolus Herbarium, Fellow of the Linnean Society, and member and president of the South African Philosophical Society (later the Royal Society of South Africa). He bequeathed his library, his extensive herbarium and most of his fortune to the South African College for which he also founded a chair of botany.
-afra, = pertaining to Africa.
(Ch, BL)
CYCLOPIA (G, La)
Honey Bush (Le)
cyclos, = a ring, round, circle;
(circular)
ops (ώψ), = the eye, face, countenance.
Cyclops (κυκλώψ), = a Cyclops,** i.e. Round-eye.
cyclopoieo (κυκλοποίέω), = to make into a circle, form like a circle.
(circular base of the calyx)
(LS, BL, Le)
DIPOGON (G)
Cape Sweet Pea, Bosklimop (Le)
di-, = two;
dis-, = twice, double;
pogon, = the beard.
(the style is double-bearded)
(LS, K3)
(h)upo, = under, beneath;
(below, under, beneath)
kalyptra, = a mantle or veil.
(large bracts under which the young flowers are hidden)
(LS, BL, Le)
INDIGOFERA (La, G)
Indigo (Le)
The blue dye indigo is derived from Latin indicus, Greek indikos, referring to India;
Indigofera tinctoria came from India.
indicus, = of India, Indian;
-icus, = indicates ‘belonging to’.

indicum, = indigo, a blue pigment for dyeing and painting;
fero, ferre, = to bear, carry, bring.
(Le, M, BL, ld)
LEBECKIA
Ganna (Le)
For a Mr. H.J. Lebeck (1772 - 1800).**
(Ch)
LESSERTIA
Balloon Pea, Blaasertjie (Le)
For Jules Paul Benjamin de Lessert (1773-1847).**
(Ch)
LIPARIA (G, La)
Mountain Pea (Le) Widowphlox (Wf)
lipos, = grease, fat, lard, oil;
-arius, = indicates connection or possession.
liparos, = oily, shining.
(leaves)
(LS, BL, Le)
LOTUS (G)
Trefoil (Le)
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)
medikos, = Median; a kind of clover, lucerne.
medike, = name given to a Median grass by Dioscorides.**
(LS, Le)
MELILOTUS (G)
Melilotus (Le)
meli, = honey;
lotos, = the name of several plants; the Greek lotus, a kind of clover or trefoil.
(flowers resembling Lotus (q.v.) and are honey-smelling)
(LS, Le)
ORNITHOPUS (G)
Bird's Foot (Le)
ornis, = a bird;
ornith-, = pertaining to birds, bird-like;
pous, podos, = a foot.
(shape of the leaves)
(LS, BL, Le)
OTHOLOBIUM (G)
Skaapbostee (Le)
otheo, osaske, = to thrust, push, shove, force away or from a place;
othein, = to push;
lobos, = the lobe or lower part of the ear;
(capsule or pod).
-ium = diminutive.
(fruit of O. caffrum appears to push out of the calyx)
(LS, Ox, BL, Le)
PARASERIANTHES (G)
Australian Albizia, Stinkboon (Le)
para-, = by the side of, near, compared with; similar to, as in generic names; (Here – SERIANTHES.)
sēres, = a people of Eastern Asia, (the modern Chinese), celebrated for their silken fabrics;
anthos, = a flower, the bloom of a flower.
(BL, Le, ld, LS)
PODALYRIA (G, La)
Bush Sweet Pea, Keurtjie (Le)
After Podaleirios / Podalirius.**
(Ch, M)
PSORALEA (G)
Blue Pea (Le)
psora, = a cutaneous disease, the itch, scab or mange; scabies;
-eus, =indicates ‘possessed by’ or belonging to.
(warty; rough glands that cover parts of the plant)
(LS, BL, Le)
RAFNIA
Widow Peale (Le)
For Carl Gottlob Rafn (1769-1808).**
(Ch)
RHYNCHOSIA (G)
Vaalertjie (Le)
rugchos, = a snout, muzzle; abeak, bill;
rhyncos, = snout, muzzle, beak;
rhynch-, rhyncho-, = provided with a snout or beak, i.e. a projecting appendage;
-osus, = indicates abundance or full or marked development.
(the style)
(LS, BL, Le)
For James Sutherland (1639-1719).**
(Ch)
ttephros, = ashes, ashes of the funeral pile;
-ius, = means ‘characteristic of’, hence indicates connexion or resemblance.
(grey colour of the leaves of many species)
(LS, BL, Le)
TRIFOLIUM (G, La)
Wild Clover (Le)
tri-, = three times, thrice;
folium, = a leaf.
(leaves are trifoliate)
(LS, Ws, Le)
VICIA (La)
Vetch (Le)
vicia, = a vetch, name for a vetch largely used for silage or fodder; used by Virgil.
(Probably related to vincio, I bind – alluding to the clasping tendrils)
(ld, M, Le)
VIRGILIA
Keurboom (Le)
For Virgil, Publius Vergilius Maro (70 - 19 B.C.).**
(K3)
ACACIA (La)
ThornTree, Wattle, Doringboom (Le)
acer, = sharp, pointed, piercing;
acus, = a needle or pin; as being pointed;
-ius, = means ‘characteristic of’, hence indicates connection or resemblance.
acacia, = the acacia-tree, the Egyptian pod-thorn, Mimosa nylotica, described by Pliny.
(ld, BL)
LOTONONIS (G)
Lotononis (Le)
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)
For Erik Nissen Viborg (1759-1822);**
-ellus, = diminutive.
(Ch, BL)
XIPHOTHECA (G)
Silver Pea (Le)
xiphos, = a sword;
thece, = a case to put anything in, a box, chest.
(shape of pod)
(LS, Le)