Botanical Latin is fascinating. (Apparently I'm easily amused.) Without even seeing a picture of a plant you can tell so much about it if you master just a few words. Latin is most helpful when it comes to species. For example, Lavendula angustifolia. The genus is Lavendula (lavender) and the species is angustifolia. Now if you know that angustifolia means notable or majestic, at least the person naming the plant had a pretty high opinion of that species of lavender. The species is usually not capitalized and it is written in italics. Frequently used Latin in the herb world: Latin Meaning officinalis Was originally used medicinally basilicum Royal or princely communis Common (not an inferior plant) vulgaris Common, nothing wrong with being plentiful.   Sometimes the Latin is used to describe the place the plant originated: Latin Meaning japonica Japan montana Not from Montana, but from the mountains palustris From the marshes chinensis China canadensis From Canada or the Northeast U.S. etruscus Tuscany coreanus Korea illinoinensis Yes, from Illinois   One part of the word leads to another: Latin Meaning semperflorens ever blooming sempervirens evergreen   Colors sound so much more exotic in Latin: Latin Meaning sanquinea blood red rubra red purpurea purple pictum painted nigra black maculata spotted lutea yellow aurea gold aurantiaca orange azurea blue caerulea deep blue griseum gray   Telling about the Flowers: (florus) Latin Meaning geminiflorus Flowers arranged in pairs nudiflorus Nude at flowering, leaves come out after flowers confertiflorus With crowded flowers lateriflorus Flowering on the side. Ok, what's their day job?   Then there is talk of the leaves:(folia) Latin Meaning rotundifolia Round leaves parvifolia Small leaves millefolium Thousand leaved longifolia Long leaves hederifolius Ivy shaped leaves   How the plant behaves: Latin Meaning scandens climbing repens creeping nana dwarf humilis low growing   Special characteristics: Latin Meaning punctata spotted mollis soft   Don't forget, Latin can easily be worked into general conversation: Latin Meaning confusus Easily mistaken for another species pudicus Bashful   I could go on but I'll spare you. If you find this as intriguing as I do, please go to my book section and order Gardener's Latin or go to the library and peruse a Latin dictionary. The next time you are at the library, rent David Attenboroughs video series, "The Private Life Of Plants".

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