The Naming of Plants

I've been enjoying the names of Fairyland plants for some time. The herbs all have English names, but most of the flowers have a Latin name (apart from eg the Iceflower, Poppy, Loveflower, to name but three).

The names all have a meaning. For instance, Cumulus (cloud) albiflorus (white flower). Carmina (song) Uniflora (single flower), or Aviflora (bird flower). I had to ponder Bellis Lycaena for some time, Bellis is the botanical name for a daisy, and Lychaenae is 'gossamer wings', a kind of butterfly. Fructus Randomus is clearly 'random fruit', which amuses my husband greatly. One can go on about all this, but with a little knowledge of Latin (or a good dictionary) one can predict the fruit of the plant from its name, hence, Rosa Amora turns into a heart, apis melliflora - apis, bee.....

I wonder how Mike chooses the names? Is he a keen botanist, or does he have a friend to help? And why don't the herbs have a Latin name as well as an English one?

Nightrose wrote:I've been enjoying the names of Fairyland plants for some time. The herbs all have English names, but most of the flowers have a Latin name (apart from eg the Iceflower, Poppy, Loveflower, to name but three).

The names all have a meaning. For instance, Cumulus (cloud) albiflorus (white flower). Carmina (song) Uniflora (single flower), or Aviflora (bird flower). I had to ponder Bellis Lycaena for some time, Bellis is the botanical name for a daisy, and Lychaenae is 'gossamer wings', a kind of butterfly. Fructus Randomus is clearly 'random fruit', which amuses my husband greatly. One can go on about all this, but with a little knowledge of Latin (or a good dictionary) one can predict the fruit of the plant from its name, hence, Rosa Amora turns into a heart, apis melliflora - apis, bee.....

I wonder how Mike chooses the names? Is he a keen botanist, or does he have a friend to help? And why don't the herbs have a Latin name as well as an English one?

That's brilliant - I could tell some of them but I didn't bother to look closely at the ones that weren't too familiar, like the Bellis Lycaena. Wow, I'm very impressed with this. You should send your translations to Marmaduke and ask him to attach that info to the plants in his Almanacs - I think he'd love it! Totally awesome!!

Im also amazed, great research!
Like you, I wondered as well how Mike chooses those names, but I try to guess every time what they might mean (not always successfully).

Wow! I've always wondered about the names. I think they're really creative!

thanks for that i did wonder xx

Piscis Aquabullae -> Fish Waterbubbles. The seed indeed looks like a bubble...