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
SarraceniaciaePermalink
named after the Canadian physician Dr. M. S. Sarrazin
DarlingtoniaPermalink
named after the American botanist Dr. W. Darlington
californicaPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - California
HeliamphoraPermalink
Gr. ‘helos’ - marsh + Gr. ‘amphora’ - pitcher
marsh pitcher, not sun pitcher!
heterodoxaPermalink
Gr. ‘heteros’ - other + Gr. ‘doxa’ - opinion
glabraPermalink
La. ‘glaber’ - hairless
the pitcher walls(or whole plant in non-pitcher plants,) are hairless
exappendiculataPermalink
La. ‘ex’ - out of, from + La. ‘appendiculum’ - small addition the pitchers lack hoods
glabellaPermalink
La. ‘glaber’ - smooth
smooth-pitchered
ionasiiPermalink
named after the American collector Jonah Boyan
minorPermalink
La. - less
a small plant
laevisPermalink
La. ‘laevus’ - left
nutansPermalink
La. - nodding
refers to the appearance of the flowers
tateiPermalink
named after the American botanist J. H. H. Tate
macdonaldaePermalink
named after the American collector Mrs. McDonald
neblinaePermalink
fr. La. ‘nebula’ - cloud, mist denotes origin of the plant - Cerro de la Neblina (Mountain of the Mists,) Venezuela
parvaPermalink
La. - small small form
SarraceniaPermalink
named after the Canadian physician Dr. M. S. Sarrazin
alataPermalink
La. ‘ala’ - wing winged - refers to the broad keel
flavaPermalink
La - yellow
the Yellow Trumpet Pitcher
leucophyllaPermalink
Gr. ‘leukos’ - white + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf white-leaved
oreophilaPermalink
Gr. ‘oros’ - mountain + Gr. ‘philos’ - friend plant “loves” montane habitats
psittacinaPermalink
Gr. ‘psittakos’ - parrot
refers to the ‘parrot-beaked’ pitchers
purpureaPermalink
La. ‘purpureus’ - purple a purple plant
heterophyllaPermalink
Gr. ‘heteros’ - other + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf different leaves (in Winter and Summer)
venosaPermalink
La. ‘vena’ - vein plant with purple venation
burkiiPermalink
named after the American horticulturist L. Burk
rubraPermalink
La. - red
refers to the hue of the plant and its flowers
alabamensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Alabama
gulfensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - the Gulf (of Mexico)
jonesiiPermalink
named after the American botanist Dr. F. M. Jones
wherryiPermalink
named after the American botanist Dr. E. T. Wherry
ByblidaceaePermalink
named after the Greek nymph Byblis
ByblisPermalink
named after the Greek nymph Byblis
giganteaPermalink
La. ‘giganteus’ - giant giant form
linifloraPermalink
La. ‘linum’ - flax + La. ‘flos’ - flower
flax-flowered
occidentalisPermalink
fr. La. ‘occidens’ - sunset, west
growing in the west of the region
CephalotaceaePermalink
Gr. ‘kephale’ - head refers to the anthers which are head-shaped
CephalotusPermalink
Gr. ‘kephale’ - head
refers to the anthers which are head-shaped
follicularisPermalink
La. ‘folliculus’ - small bag refers to the shape of the pitchers
RoridulaceaePermalink
La. - ‘roridus’ - dewy the plant has a dewy appearance
RoridulaPermalink
La. ‘roridus’ - dewy the plant has a dewy appearance
dentataPermalink
La. ‘dentatus’ - toothed the leaves are toothed
gorgoniasPermalink
fr. La. ‘Gorgo’ - Gorgon, a mythical monster the leaves look like Medusa’s snakes
DroseraceaePermalink
Gr. ‘drosos’ - dew dewy plant
AldrovandaPermalink
named after the Italian botanist U. Aldrovandi
vesiculosaPermalink
La. ‘vesicula’ - dimin. of ‘vesica’ - bladder, bubble
refers to the hollow floats that keep the plant buoyant
DionaeaPermalink
named after the Greek goddess Dione, mother of, or sometimes a synonym for, Aphrodite (La. Venus)
muscipulaPermalink
La. ‘muscipula’ - mousetrap
refers to it’s manner of action (nice pun on ‘musca’ - fly, too)
DroseraPermalink
Gr. ‘drosos’ - dew
dewy plant
acaulisPermalink
La. ‘a-‘ - without + La. ‘caulis’ - stem, cabbage sessile leaves without petioles
adelaePermalink
named after Adele (female first name)
affinisPermalink
La. ‘affinis’ - bordering, related refers to its habit of growing …?
albaPermalink
La. - white plant with white flowers
aliciaePermalink
named after Alice (female first name)
andersonianaPermalink
named after Anderson
androsaceaPermalink
plants recalling those of the genus Androsace (Primulaceae)
anglicaPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - England
arcturiPermalink
La. ‘Arcturi’ - Arthur
named after Mount Arthur, Tasmania where it was discovered
arenicolaPermalink
La. ‘arena’ - sand + ‘-colus’ - inhabiting habitually grows in sandy conditions
banksiiPermalink
named after the British botanist J. Banks (who accompanied Cpt. Cook)
barbigeraPermalink
La. ‘barbiger’ - bearded a hairy plant
bequaertiiPermalink
named after the Belgian collector Bequaert
binataPermalink
fr. La. ‘binus’ - twofold the leaves are divided in two
brevifoliaPermalink
La. ‘brevis’ - short + La. ‘folium’ - leaf short-leaved
brownianaPermalink
named after the Australian collector A. Brown
bulbigenaPermalink
La. ‘bulbus’ - bulb + La. ‘genus’ - bearing plant bearing bulbs (rather corms)
bulbosaPermalink
La. ‘bulbus’ - bulb the corm is bulbous like an onion
majorPermalink
La. ‘maior’ - older, greater a large form of the species
burkeanaPermalink
named after the S. African collector Burke
burmanniiPermalink
named after the Dutch botanist Burman
caledonicaPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - New Caledonia
callistosPermalink
Gr. ‘kalos’ - the best, most beautiful + superl. plant rather beautiful
capensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Cape area, S. Africa
capillarisPermalink
La. ‘capillus’ - hair hairy
brasiliensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Brazil
cayennensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Cayenne, French Guiana
cendeensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Paramo de Cende, Andes of Venezuela
chrysolepisPermalink
Gr. ‘khrysos’ - gold + ‘lepis’ - scale golden stipules
cistifloraPermalink
mod L. ‘Cistus’ fr. Gr. ‘kistos’ - rock rose + La. ‘flos’ - flower the cistus-flowered sundew
citrinaPermalink
La. ‘citrus’ - lemon tree a yellow-flowered plant
closterostigmaPermalink
Gr. ‘klosteros’ - spindle + Gr. ‘stigma’ - stigma spindle-shaped stigma
collinsiaePermalink
named after the S African collector Mrs. Collins
colombianaPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Colombia
communisPermalink
La. - common a common sundew
compactaPermalink
fr La. ‘compingere’ - compact a compact plant
cuneifoliaPermalink
La. ‘cuneus’ - wedge + La. ‘folium’ - leaf wedge-shaped leaves
dichrosepalaPermalink
Gr. ‘dikhros’ - twofold + ML. ‘sepalum’ - sepal two-coloured sepals
dielsianaPermalink
named after the German botanist L. Diels - the monographer of Droseraceae
dilatatopetiolarisPermalink
La. ‘dilatare’ - spread out + La. ‘petiolus’ - little foot, stalk wide-petioled
echinoblastaPermalink
Gr. ‘ekhinos’ - hedgehog + Gr. ‘blastos’ - bud the stipule is bristled like a hedgehog
elongataPermalink
LL. ‘elongare’ - lengthen
tapering leaves
eneabbaPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Eneabba, West Australia
ericksoniaePermalink
named after the Australian botanist Mrs. R. Erickson
erythrogynePermalink
Gr. ‘erythros’ - red + Gr. ‘gyne’ - woman female flower parts red
erythrorhizaPermalink
Gr. ‘erythros’ - red + Gr. ‘rhiza’ - root
red root
collinaPermalink
La. ‘collis’ - hill plant from colline habitats
magnaPermalink
La. ‘magnus’ - large, great a large plant
squamosaPermalink
La. ‘squamosus’ - scaly a scaly plant
esmeraldaePermalink
denotes origin of the plant - La Esmeralda, Venezuela
falconeriPermalink
named after the Australian collector D. Falconer
felixPermalink
La. ‘felix’ - auspicious, lucky the discovery of this plant caused delight
filiformisPermalink
La. ‘filum’ - thread + form
thread-like leaves
tracyiPermalink
named after the American Tracy
fimbriataPermalink
La. ‘fimbriatus’ - fringe
fringed with hairs
giganteaPermalink
La. ‘gigant-‘ - giant a large plant
geniculataPermalink
La. ‘geniculatus’ - jointed
glabripesPermalink
La. ‘glaber’ - smooth, hairless + La. ‘pes’ - foot plant with a hairless base
glanduligeraPermalink
La. ‘glandium’ - gland + ‘gerus’ - bearing bearing glands
graminifoliaPermalink
La. ‘gramen’ - grass + La. ‘folium’ - leaf grass-like leaves
graniticolaPermalink
La. ‘granum’ - grain=>granite + La. ‘colus’ - inhabiting denotes the habit of growing on granite
grieveiPermalink
named after the Australian botanist B. J. Grieve
hamiltoniiPermalink
named after the Australian Hamilton
helodesPermalink
Gr. ‘helos’ - marsh plant growing in +/- humid conditions
heterophyllaPermalink
Gr. ‘heteros’ - other + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf different leaves
hilarisPermalink
La. fr. Gr. ‘hilaros’ - cheerful
huegeliiPermalink
named after the Austrian collector Huegel
humbertiiPermalink
named after the French collector Humbert
hyperostigmaPermalink
Gr. ‘hyperon’ - club + Gr. ‘stigma’ - stigma club-shaped stigma
indicaPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - India
insolitaPermalink
La. ‘in-‘ - not + La. ‘solitarius’ fr. La. ‘solus’ - alone
growing insulated (in Africa) from its closest allies (from Asia and Australia)
intermediaPermalink
La. ‘inter’ - among + La. ‘medius’ - middle
medium-sized and shaped
kaieteurensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - the Kaieteur Falls in Guyana
katangensisPermalink
refers to origin of the plant - Katanga, Zaire
lanataPermalink
La. ‘lanatus’ - woolly the plant is covered in tomentum
lasianthaPermalink
Gr. ‘lasios’ - woolly + Gr. ‘anthos’ - flower hairy-flowered
leioblastaPermalink
Gr. ‘leios’ - smooth + Gr. ‘blastos’ - bud stipule buds smooth
leucoblastaPermalink
Gr. ‘leuko’ - white + Gr. ‘blastos’ - bud the stipule of this species is markedly white
linearisPermalink
La. ‘linea’ - straight fr. La. ‘linum’ - flax
straight-(vertical)-leaved
lowrieiPermalink
named after the Australian botanist A. Lowrie
macranthaPermalink
Gr. ‘makro-‘ fr. Gr. ‘makros’ - long, large + GR. ‘anthos’ - flower large flowers
eremaeaPermalink
named after the Australian desert
macrophyllaPermalink
Gr. ‘makro-‘ fr. Gr. ‘makros’ - long, large + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf large-leaved
madagascariensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Madagascar
manniiPermalink
named after the Australian collector P. Mann
marchantiiPermalink
named after the Australian botanist Dr. N. Marchant
prophyllaPermalink
shoot base bears numerous prophylls with reduced lamina
menziesiiPermalink
named after the British collector Menzies
basifoliaPermalink
La. ‘basis’ - pedestal, base + La. ‘folium’ - leaf growing up from a basal rosette
penicillarisPermalink
La. ‘penicillus’ - painter’s brush, pencil
growing straightly, in the form of a rod
thysanosepalaPermalink
Gr. ‘thysanos’ - tassel + ML. ‘sepalum’ - sepal sepals hairy
meristocaulisPermalink
Gr. ‘meristos’ - divided + Gr. ‘kaulos’ - shoot plant with branched shoots
microphyllaPermalink
Gr. ‘mikro-‘ fr. Gr. ‘mikros’ - small + Gr. ‘phyllon’ - leaf small-leaved
microscapaPermalink
Gr. ‘mikro-‘ fr. Gr. ‘mikros’ - small + La. ‘scapus’ - beam short-scaped
miniataPermalink
La. ‘miniatulus’ - painted red coloured red
modestaPermalink
La. ‘modestus’ - keeping due measure
modest, unassuming
montanaPermalink
La. ‘montanus’ - montane growing in a mountainous habitat
hirtellaPermalink
La. ‘hirtus’ - shaggy
schwackeiPermalink
named after the German collector Schwacke
tomentosaPermalink
La. ‘tomentum’ - stuffing, padding a tomentose plant
myrianthaPermalink
Gr. ‘myrioi’ - a million + Gr. ‘anthos’ - flower many-flowered
natalensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Natal area, S. Africa
neesiiPermalink
named after the German botanist Nees von Esenbeck
borealisPermalink
La. ‘Boreas’ - North wind, north grows in the northern part of the area
neo-caledonicaPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - New Caledonia
nitidulaPermalink
La. ‘nitidus’ - bright, shining the shining sundew
allantostigmaPermalink
Gr. ‘allantos’ - sausage + Gr. ‘stigma’ - stigma sausage-shaped stigmas
leucostigmaPermalink
Gr. ‘leuko’ - white + La. ‘stigma’ the stigmas of this species are white
omissaPermalink
La. ‘omitto’ - to disregard, overlook the neglected sundew
oblanceolataPermalink
La. ‘ob-‘ against + La. ‘lanceola’ fr. La. ‘lancea’ - lance
leaves lanceolate with broad ends outermost
australisPermalink
La. - southern growing in southern regions
orbiculataPermalink
La. ‘orbiculatus’ - round a species with round leaves
ordensisPermalink
plant occurs in the basin of the Ord river, N.T., Australia
oreopodionPermalink
Gr. ‘oros’ - mountain + Gr. ‘pous’ - foot from the base of the Darling Range
paleaceaPermalink
La. ‘palea’ - scale
trichocaulisPermalink
Gr. ‘thrix’ - hair + Gr. ‘kaulos’ - shoot plant with hairy shoots
pallidaPermalink
La. ‘pallidus’ fr. La. ‘pallere’ - to be pale
a pale plant
panamensisPermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Panama, C. America
parvulaPermalink
La. ‘parva’ - small a small species
paucifloraPermalink
La. ‘paucus’ - few + La. ‘flos’ - flower
producing few flowers
peltataPermalink
fr Gr. ‘pelte’ - shield
peltate leaves
auriculataPermalink
La. ‘auricula’ - ear leaves in the form of small ears
petiolarisPermalink
this (and similar,) species displays abnormally long petioles for the size of lamina
pilosaPermalink
La. ‘pilosus’ - hairy a hairy plant
platypodaPermalink
Gr. ‘platys’ - flat + Gr. ‘pous’ - foot
platystigmaPermalink
Gr. ‘platys’ - flat + Gr. ‘stigma’ - stigma flattened stigma
proliferaPermalink
La. ‘proles’ - offspring + La. ‘ferus’ - bearing plant producing copious offspring by stolons
prostratoscaposaPermalink
La. ‘prostratus’ fr. La. ‘prosterno’ - to throw down, prostrate + La. ‘scapus’ - shaft with prostrate scapes
pulchellaPermalink
La. ‘pulcher’ - beautiful a beautiful plant
pusillaPermalink
La. ‘pusillus’ - very little a very small plant
pycnoblastaPermalink
Gr. ‘pyknos’ - tight + Gr. ‘blastos’ - bud plant with exceptionally tight stipule-cluster
pygmaeaPermalink
La. ‘pygmaeus’ - pygmy an exceedingly small (pygmy,) plant
radicansPermalink
La. ‘radix’ - root
ramellosaPermalink
La. ‘ramus’ - branch + dimin. plant with short branches
ramentaceaPermalink
La. ‘ramentum’ - splinter, fragment
rechingeriPermalink
named after the Austrian botanist K.-H. Rechinger
regiaPermalink
La. ‘regalis’ fr. La. ‘rex’ - king
the regal sundew
roraimaePermalink
denotes origin of the plant - Mt. Roraima, Venezuela
rosulataPermalink
La. ‘rosula’ - rosette plant grows in the form of a rosette
rotundifoliaPermalink
La. ‘rotundus’ - round fr. La. ‘rotare’ - to rotate
the round-leaved sundew
salinaPermalink
La. ‘salis’ - salt growing in salty soils
sargentiiPermalink
named after the Australian botanist O. H. Sargent
schizandraPermalink
Gr. ‘skhizos’ - split + Gr. ‘andros’ - male anther thecae separated (split) by a broad connective
scorpioidesPermalink
La. ‘sco