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.
The first form listed is like the dictionary form and is generally masculine. It is in bold-face. The next form is the feminine and the last is the neuter. This applies when there are 3 forms shown. For example, abundiflorus is masculine, abundiflora is feminine, and abundiflorum is neuter.
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
© 2002 N.S. Gill
