Flower Name Meanings

Florus, -a, -um

More of This Feature • Naming Conventions • Foliage Names

The following words are used in plant names to describe the flowering section of plants. The ending of most of these words and the beginning of a few others derive from the past participle (florus, flora, florum) of the Latin verb to flower, floreo.

There are three forms of each Latin (or Greek) based word because in Latin and Greek, adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify. In this case, the nouns they modify would be the genus names of the plants. If the Latin genus name of the plant is masculine, the species name or adjective used is masculine (generally, ending in "us"). Asparagus is a masculine noun. Asparagus densiflorus is a densely flowered asparagus plant. If the noun is feminine, it requires a feminine adjective (usually signified in this list by an "a" ending). Pinus is the Latin word for a fir tree. Despite the "us" ending, pinus is feminine. A densely flowered fir tree would be Pinus densiflora. Neuter nouns in Latin often have a "um" ending. So do the adjectives that modify them. Lilium is a neuter plant name (lily). Lilium longiflorum is a lily with long flowers.

Sometimes there is only one ending. Begonia is a feminine flower name, but the ever popular, ever flowering species is Begonia semperflorens because there is only one form of the adjective for ever-flowering.

a

abundiflorus (copious flowers) abundiflora abundiflorum

acutiflorus (sharp pointed flowers) acutiflora acutiflorum

albiflora albidiflorus (whitish flowers) albidiflora albidiflorum

alterniflorus (alternating flowers) alterniflora alterniflorum

ampliflorus (large flowered) ampliflora ampliflorum

angustiflorus (narrow flower) angustiflora angustiflorum

auriflorus (earlike flowers) auriflora auriflorum

axilliflorus (flowers in axils [axilla - armpit]) axilliflora axilliflorum

b

bifloriformis (two flowered form) bifloriformis bifloriforme

biflorus (two flowered) biflora biflorum

breviflorus (short flowered) breviflora breviflorum

c

cauliflorus (flower on the stem [caulis - stem of a plant]) cauliflora cauliflorum

confertiflorus (densely flowered) confertiflora confertiflorum

congestiflorus (crowded flowers) congestiflora congestiflorum

coniflorus (conical flowers) coniflora coniflorum

corymbiflorus (flowers in corymbs [clusters of fruit or flowers]) corymbiflora corymbiflorum

crenatiflorus (notched flower) crenatiflora crenatiflorum

curviflorus (curved flower) curviflora curviflorum

d

densiflorus (densely flowered) densiflora densiflorum

f

floribundus (profusely flowering) floribunda floribundum

floricomus (hairy flowers) floricoma floricomum

floridulus (somewhat flowering) floridula floridulum

floridus (flowering} florida floridum

florifer (flower bearing) florifera floriferum

floriger (flower bearing) florigera florigerum

florosus (abundantly flowered) florosa florosum

florulentus (abundantly flowered) florulenta florulentum

florus (flowered) flora florum

g

geminiflorus (flowers paired) geminiflora geminiflorum

gibbiflorus (humped flower) gibbiflora gibbiflorum

gilviflorus (pale yellow flower) gilviflora gilviflorum

grandiflorus (large flowered) grandiflora grandiflorum

h

hirtiflorus (hairy flowered) hirtiflora hirtiflorum

l

lactiflorus (milky flower) lactiflora lactiflorum

laxiflorus (loose flowers) laxiflora laxiflorum

longiflorus (long flowers) longiflora longiflorum

m

milleflorus (thousand flowered) milleflora milleflorum

minutiflorus (small flowered) minutiflora minutiflorum

multiflorus (many flowers) multiflora multiflorum

n

naniflorus (dwarf flowered) naniflora naniflorum

nodiflorus (flowers from nodes) nodiflora nodiflorum

nudiflorus (naked flowering) nudiflora nudiflorum

p

pallidiflorus (pale flowered) pallidiflora pallidiflorum

parviflorus (small flowered) parviflora parviflorum

pauciflorus (few flowered) pauciflora pauciflorum

planiflorus (flat flowered) planiflora planiflorum

pluriflorus (more flowers) pluriflora pluriflorum

pubiflorus (hairy flowers) pubiflora pubiflorum

pulchriflorus (beautifully flowered) pulchriflora pulchriflorum

r

ramiflorus (flowers on older branches) ramiflora ramiflorum

remotiflorus (withdrawn flower) remotiflora remotiflorum

rostriflorus (beaked flower) rostriflora rostriflorum

rotundiflora (round flower) rotundiflora rotundiflorum

s

sanguiniflorus (blood red leaves) sanguiniflora sanguiniflorum

secundiflorus (flowers on one side) secundiflora secundiflorum

semperflorens (ever flowering) semperflorens semperflorens

sessiliflorus (stalkless flowers) sessiliflora sessiliflorum

simpliciflorus (simple flowered) simpliciflora simpliciflorum

sparsiflorus (sparsely flowered) sparsiflora sparsiflorum

t

tardiflorus (late flowering) tardiflora tardiflorum

tenuiflorus (slender flower) tenuiflora tenuiflorum

thyrsiflorus (flowers in a thyrse [stalks multiply branched]) thyrsiflora thyrsiflorum

triflorus (three flowered) triflora triflorum

tubiflorus (tubular flower) tubiflora tubiflorum

u

uniflorifer (bearing one flower) uniflorifera unifloriferum

uniflorus (one flowered) uniflora uniflorum

v

villiflorus (hairy flowers) villiflora villiflorum

viridiflorus (green flowered) viridiflora viridiflorum