A Dictionary of Carnivorous Plant Names
Carnivorous plant names with their etymological derivations and meanings
rev. 1.2
Peter Cole - July 1996, with the invaluable assistance of Dr. J. Schlauer
copy freely unaltered for non-commercial purposes
This file is ordered by family/genus/species
Sarraceniaciae
named after the Canadian physician Dr. M. S. Sarrazin
Darlingtonia
named after the American botanist Dr. W. Darlington
californica
denotes origin of the plant - California
Heliamphora
Gr. ‘helos’ - marsh + Gr. ‘amphora’ - pitcher
marsh pitcher, not sun pitcher!
heterodoxa
Gr. ‘heteros’ - other + Gr. ‘doxa’ - opinion
glabra
La. ‘glaber’ - hairless
the pitcher walls(or whole plant in non-pitcher plants,) are hairless
exappendiculata
La. ‘ex’ - out of, from + La. ‘appendiculum’ - small addition the pitchers lack hoods
glabella
La. ‘glaber’ - smooth
smooth-pitchered
ionasii
named after the American collector Jonah Boyan
minor
La. - less
a small plant
laevis
La. ‘laevus’ - left
nutans
La. - nodding
refers to the appearance of the flowers
tatei
named after the American botanist J. H. H. Tate
macdonaldae
named after the American collector Mrs. McDonald
neblinae
fr. La. ‘nebula’ - cloud, mist denotes origin of the plant - Cerro de la Neblina (Mountain of the Mists,) Venezuela
parva
La. - small small form
Sarracenia
named after the Canadian physician Dr. M. S. Sarrazin
alata
La. ‘ala’ - wing winged - refers to the broad keel
flava
La - yellow
the Yellow Trumpet Pitcher
leucophylla
Gr. ‘leukos’ - white + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf white-leaved
oreophila
Gr. ‘oros’ - mountain + Gr. ‘philos’ - friend plant “loves” montane habitats
psittacina
Gr. ‘psittakos’ - parrot
refers to the ‘parrot-beaked’ pitchers
purpurea
La. ‘purpureus’ - purple a purple plant
heterophylla
Gr. ‘heteros’ - other + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf different leaves (in Winter and Summer)
venosa
La. ‘vena’ - vein plant with purple venation
burkii
named after the American horticulturist L. Burk
rubra
La. - red
refers to the hue of the plant and its flowers
alabamensis
denotes origin of the plant - Alabama
gulfensis
denotes origin of the plant - the Gulf (of Mexico)
jonesii
named after the American botanist Dr. F. M. Jones
wherryi
named after the American botanist Dr. E. T. Wherry
Byblidaceae
named after the Greek nymph Byblis
Byblis
named after the Greek nymph Byblis
gigantea
La. ‘giganteus’ - giant giant form
liniflora
La. ‘linum’ - flax + La. ‘flos’ - flower
flax-flowered
occidentalis
fr. La. ‘occidens’ - sunset, west
growing in the west of the region
Cephalotaceae
Gr. ‘kephale’ - head refers to the anthers which are head-shaped
Cephalotus
Gr. ‘kephale’ - head
refers to the anthers which are head-shaped
follicularis
La. ‘folliculus’ - small bag refers to the shape of the pitchers
Roridulaceae
La. - ‘roridus’ - dewy the plant has a dewy appearance
Roridula
La. ‘roridus’ - dewy the plant has a dewy appearance
dentata
La. ‘dentatus’ - toothed the leaves are toothed
gorgonias
fr. La. ‘Gorgo’ - Gorgon, a mythical monster the leaves look like Medusa’s snakes
Droseraceae
Gr. ‘drosos’ - dew dewy plant
Aldrovanda
named after the Italian botanist U. Aldrovandi
vesiculosa
La. ‘vesicula’ - dimin. of ‘vesica’ - bladder, bubble
refers to the hollow floats that keep the plant buoyant
Dionaea
named after the Greek goddess Dione, mother of, or sometimes a synonym for, Aphrodite (La. Venus)
muscipula
La. ‘muscipula’ - mousetrap
refers to it’s manner of action (nice pun on ‘musca’ - fly, too)
Drosera
Gr. ‘drosos’ - dew
dewy plant
acaulis
La. ‘a-‘ - without + La. ‘caulis’ - stem, cabbage sessile leaves without petioles
adelae
named after Adele (female first name)
affinis
La. ‘affinis’ - bordering, related refers to its habit of growing …?
alba
La. - white plant with white flowers
aliciae
named after Alice (female first name)
andersoniana
named after Anderson
androsacea
plants recalling those of the genus Androsace (Primulaceae)
anglica
denotes origin of the plant - England
arcturi
La. ‘Arcturi’ - Arthur
named after Mount Arthur, Tasmania where it was discovered
arenicola
La. ‘arena’ - sand + ‘-colus’ - inhabiting habitually grows in sandy conditions
banksii
named after the British botanist J. Banks (who accompanied Cpt. Cook)
barbigera
La. ‘barbiger’ - bearded a hairy plant
bequaertii
named after the Belgian collector Bequaert
binata
fr. La. ‘binus’ - twofold the leaves are divided in two
brevifolia
La. ‘brevis’ - short + La. ‘folium’ - leaf short-leaved
browniana
named after the Australian collector A. Brown
bulbigena
La. ‘bulbus’ - bulb + La. ‘genus’ - bearing plant bearing bulbs (rather corms)
bulbosa
La. ‘bulbus’ - bulb the corm is bulbous like an onion
major
La. ‘maior’ - older, greater a large form of the species
burkeana
named after the S. African collector Burke
burmannii
named after the Dutch botanist Burman
caledonica
denotes origin of the plant - New Caledonia
callistos
Gr. ‘kalos’ - the best, most beautiful + superl. plant rather beautiful
capensis
denotes origin of the plant - Cape area, S. Africa
capillaris
La. ‘capillus’ - hair hairy
brasiliensis
denotes origin of the plant - Brazil
cayennensis
denotes origin of the plant - Cayenne, French Guiana
cendeensis
denotes origin of the plant - Paramo de Cende, Andes of Venezuela
chrysolepis
Gr. ‘khrysos’ - gold + ‘lepis’ - scale golden stipules
cistiflora
mod L. ‘Cistus’ fr. Gr. ‘kistos’ - rock rose + La. ‘flos’ - flower the cistus-flowered sundew
citrina
La. ‘citrus’ - lemon tree a yellow-flowered plant
closterostigma
Gr. ‘klosteros’ - spindle + Gr. ‘stigma’ - stigma spindle-shaped stigma
collinsiae
named after the S African collector Mrs. Collins
colombiana
denotes origin of the plant - Colombia
communis
La. - common a common sundew
compacta
fr La. ‘compingere’ - compact a compact plant
cuneifolia
La. ‘cuneus’ - wedge + La. ‘folium’ - leaf wedge-shaped leaves
dichrosepala
Gr. ‘dikhros’ - twofold + ML. ‘sepalum’ - sepal two-coloured sepals
dielsiana
named after the German botanist L. Diels - the monographer of Droseraceae
dilatatopetiolaris
La. ‘dilatare’ - spread out + La. ‘petiolus’ - little foot, stalk wide-petioled
echinoblasta
Gr. ‘ekhinos’ - hedgehog + Gr. ‘blastos’ - bud the stipule is bristled like a hedgehog
elongata
LL. ‘elongare’ - lengthen
tapering leaves
eneabba
denotes origin of the plant - Eneabba, West Australia
ericksoniae
named after the Australian botanist Mrs. R. Erickson
erythrogyne
Gr. ‘erythros’ - red + Gr. ‘gyne’ - woman female flower parts red
erythrorhiza
Gr. ‘erythros’ - red + Gr. ‘rhiza’ - root
red root
collina
La. ‘collis’ - hill plant from colline habitats
magna
La. ‘magnus’ - large, great a large plant
squamosa
La. ‘squamosus’ - scaly a scaly plant
esmeraldae
denotes origin of the plant - La Esmeralda, Venezuela
falconeri
named after the Australian collector D. Falconer
felix
La. ‘felix’ - auspicious, lucky the discovery of this plant caused delight
filiformis
La. ‘filum’ - thread + form
thread-like leaves
tracyi
named after the American Tracy
fimbriata
La. ‘fimbriatus’ - fringe
fringed with hairs
gigantea
La. ‘gigant-‘ - giant a large plant
geniculata
La. ‘geniculatus’ - jointed
glabripes
La. ‘glaber’ - smooth, hairless + La. ‘pes’ - foot plant with a hairless base
glanduligera
La. ‘glandium’ - gland + ‘gerus’ - bearing bearing glands
graminifolia
La. ‘gramen’ - grass + La. ‘folium’ - leaf grass-like leaves
graniticola
La. ‘granum’ - grain=>granite + La. ‘colus’ - inhabiting denotes the habit of growing on granite
grievei
named after the Australian botanist B. J. Grieve
hamiltonii
named after the Australian Hamilton
helodes
Gr. ‘helos’ - marsh plant growing in +/- humid conditions
heterophylla
Gr. ‘heteros’ - other + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf different leaves
hilaris
La. fr. Gr. ‘hilaros’ - cheerful
huegelii
named after the Austrian collector Huegel
humbertii
named after the French collector Humbert
hyperostigma
Gr. ‘hyperon’ - club + Gr. ‘stigma’ - stigma club-shaped stigma
indica
denotes origin of the plant - India
insolita
La. ‘in-‘ - not + La. ‘solitarius’ fr. La. ‘solus’ - alone
growing insulated (in Africa) from its closest allies (from Asia and Australia)
intermedia
La. ‘inter’ - among + La. ‘medius’ - middle
medium-sized and shaped
kaieteurensis
denotes origin of the plant - the Kaieteur Falls in Guyana
katangensis
refers to origin of the plant - Katanga, Zaire
lanata
La. ‘lanatus’ - woolly the plant is covered in tomentum
lasiantha
Gr. ‘lasios’ - woolly + Gr. ‘anthos’ - flower hairy-flowered
leioblasta
Gr. ‘leios’ - smooth + Gr. ‘blastos’ - bud stipule buds smooth
leucoblasta
Gr. ‘leuko’ - white + Gr. ‘blastos’ - bud the stipule of this species is markedly white
linearis
La. ‘linea’ - straight fr. La. ‘linum’ - flax
straight-(vertical)-leaved
lowriei
named after the Australian botanist A. Lowrie
macrantha
Gr. ‘makro-‘ fr. Gr. ‘makros’ - long, large + GR. ‘anthos’ - flower large flowers
eremaea
named after the Australian desert
macrophylla
Gr. ‘makro-‘ fr. Gr. ‘makros’ - long, large + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf large-leaved
madagascariensis
denotes origin of the plant - Madagascar
mannii
named after the Australian collector P. Mann
marchantii
named after the Australian botanist Dr. N. Marchant
prophylla
shoot base bears numerous prophylls with reduced lamina
menziesii
named after the British collector Menzies
basifolia
La. ‘basis’ - pedestal, base + La. ‘folium’ - leaf growing up from a basal rosette
penicillaris
La. ‘penicillus’ - painter’s brush, pencil
growing straightly, in the form of a rod
thysanosepala
Gr. ‘thysanos’ - tassel + ML. ‘sepalum’ - sepal sepals hairy
meristocaulis
Gr. ‘meristos’ - divided + Gr. ‘kaulos’ - shoot plant with branched shoots
microphylla
Gr. ‘mikro-‘ fr. Gr. ‘mikros’ - small + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf small-leaved
microscapa
Gr. ‘mikro-‘ fr. Gr. ‘mikros’ - small + La. ‘scapus’ - beam short-scaped
miniata
La. ‘miniatulus’ - painted red coloured red
modesta
La. ‘modestus’ - keeping due measure
modest, unassuming
montana
La. ‘montanus’ - montane growing in a mountainous habitat
hirtella
La. ‘hirtus’ - shaggy
schwackei
named after the German collector Schwacke
tomentosa
La. ‘tomentum’ - stuffing, padding a tomentose plant
myriantha
Gr. ‘myrioi’ - a million + Gr. ‘anthos’ - flower many-flowered
natalensis
denotes origin of the plant - Natal area, S. Africa
neesii
named after the German botanist Nees von Esenbeck
borealis
La. ‘Boreas’ - North wind, north grows in the northern part of the area
neo-caledonica
denotes origin of the plant - New Caledonia
nitidula
La. ‘nitidus’ - bright, shining the shining sundew
allantostigma
Gr. ‘allantos’ - sausage + Gr. ‘stigma’ - stigma sausage-shaped stigmas
leucostigma
Gr. ‘leuko’ - white + La. ‘stigma’ the stigmas of this species are white
omissa
La. ‘omitto’ - to disregard, overlook the neglected sundew
oblanceolata
La. ‘ob-‘ against + La. ‘lanceola’ fr. La. ‘lancea’ - lance
leaves lanceolate with broad ends outermost
australis
La. - southern growing in southern regions
orbiculata
La. ‘orbiculatus’ - round a species with round leaves
ordensis
plant occurs in the basin of the Ord river, N.T., Australia
oreopodion
Gr. ‘oros’ - mountain + Gr. ‘pous’ - foot from the base of the Darling Range
paleacea
La. ‘palea’ - scale
trichocaulis
Gr. ‘thrix’ - hair + Gr. ‘kaulos’ - shoot plant with hairy shoots
pallida
La. ‘pallidus’ fr. La. ‘pallere’ - to be pale
a pale plant
panamensis
denotes origin of the plant - Panama, C. America
parvula
La. ‘parva’ - small a small species
pauciflora
La. ‘paucus’ - few + La. ‘flos’ - flower
producing few flowers
peltata
fr Gr. ‘pelte’ - shield
peltate leaves
auriculata
La. ‘auricula’ - ear leaves in the form of small ears
petiolaris
this (and similar,) species displays abnormally long petioles for the size of lamina
pilosa
La. ‘pilosus’ - hairy a hairy plant
platypoda
Gr. ‘platys’ - flat + Gr. ‘pous’ - foot
platystigma
Gr. ‘platys’ - flat + Gr. ‘stigma’ - stigma flattened stigma
prolifera
La. ‘proles’ - offspring + La. ‘ferus’ - bearing plant producing copious offspring by stolons
prostratoscaposa
La. ‘prostratus’ fr. La. ‘prosterno’ - to throw down, prostrate + La. ‘scapus’ - shaft with prostrate scapes
pulchella
La. ‘pulcher’ - beautiful a beautiful plant
pusilla
La. ‘pusillus’ - very little a very small plant
pycnoblasta
Gr. ‘pyknos’ - tight + Gr. ‘blastos’ - bud plant with exceptionally tight stipule-cluster
pygmaea
La. ‘pygmaeus’ - pygmy an exceedingly small (pygmy,) plant
radicans
La. ‘radix’ - root
ramellosa
La. ‘ramus’ - branch + dimin. plant with short branches
ramentacea
La. ‘ramentum’ - splinter, fragment
rechingeri
named after the Austrian botanist K.-H. Rechinger
regia
La. ‘regalis’ fr. La. ‘rex’ - king
the regal sundew
roraimae
denotes origin of the plant - Mt. Roraima, Venezuela
rosulata
La. ‘rosula’ - rosette plant grows in the form of a rosette
rotundifolia
La. ‘rotundus’ - round fr. La. ‘rotare’ - to rotate
the round-leaved sundew
salina
La. ‘salis’ - salt growing in salty soils
sargentii
named after the Australian botanist O. H. Sargent
schizandra
Gr. ‘skhizos’ - split + Gr. ‘andros’ - male anther thecae separated (split) by a broad connective
scorpioides
La. ‘sco