New Zealand plants are special. Many are unique to our island country and found nowhere else in the world. The descriptive clues in botanical names are rewarding if you translate or understand the terms themselves. The names of our plants reflect their discoverers, place of origin and our history.
A Aciphylla the Spaniard for the sharp, needle leaves Agathis the kauri, from agathis 'ball of thread' for the distinctive cones Arthropodium the rengarenga lily, from 'arthro' a joint and 'podion' stalk (has jointed pedicels) Astelia stem-less australis southern, as in Cordyline australis B banksii named for Sir Joseph Banks, botanist on Captain Cook's voyages bidwillii named for John Bidwill, early New Zealand alpine plant enthusiast buchananii named for John Buchanan, early New Zealand botanist C Celmisia mountain daisies, after Celmisios in Greek mythology chathamicus/chathamica of the Chatham Islands Clianthus kaka beak, from 'kleos' glory and 'anthos' flower for the distinctive flowers colensoi named for William Colenso, early botanist Coprosma smelling of manure Cordyline the cabbage tree, meaning a club as the large and fleshy roots resemble Corokia from the Maori name 'Korokio' cunnihamii named for Allan Cunningham, early botanist D Dicksonia the tree fern, for James Dickson a Scottish nurseryman and naturalist dieffenbachii for Dr Ernst Dieffenbach, naturalist Dracophyllum the grass trees, from 'draco' dragon and 'phyllum' leaf G Griselinia the broadleaf, for Franseco Griselini, naturalist H haastii for Julius von Haast, explorer Hebe for the Greek Goddess of youth 'Hebe' Hoheria for the Moari name 'Houhere' hookeri for Sir William or Sir Joseph Hooker, directors of Royal Botanic Gardens Kew K kirkii for Thomas Kirk, early botanist L Leptospermum the manuka, 'leptos' or slender and ' sperma' or seed for the narrow seeds lessonii/lessoniana for Pierre Lesson, surgeon and botanist lyallii for David Lyall, surgeon M Metrosideros the rata and pohutukawa for their very hard wood; 'metra' heartwood and 'sideros' iron hard monroi for Sir David Monro, plant collector Muehlenbeckia after Muehlenbeck, a French physician and botanist Myosotidium the Chatham Island Forget-me-not, for Myosotis the European forgetme-not N Nothofagus native beech, from 'nothos' false and 'fagus' the beech novae-zelandiae meaning 'of New Zealand' O Olearia because it resembles an olive tree (Olea) P Pachystegia the Marlborough Rock Daisy, from 'pakys' or thick for the thick leaves Phormium New Zealand flax, from 'phormoin' or a mat, a reference to the traditional Maori weaving of flax and flax fibres Pittosporum for the sticky seeds, as 'pitta' means pitch or tar and 'sporum' seeds Plagianthus 'plagios' oblique and 'anthhos' flower for the asymmetrical flowers Podocarpus the totara, from 'podos' foot and 'karpos' fruit for the stalked fruit Pseudopanax lancewoods and the five-finger, from 'pseudo' false and 'panax' a related genus R richardii for Achille Richard, French botanist S sinclairii Andrew Sinclair an early plant collector solandri Daniel Solander botanist on the Cook voyages Sophora the kowhai, from 'sophera' the Arabic name for a tree with pea shaped flowers T traversii William Travers early plant collector, lawyer and politician omentose: densely wooly or soft-matted hairiness tomentulose: like tomentose but less so torulose: twisted or knobby W williamsii for William Williams, Bishop of Waiapu in the nineteenth century X Xeronema Poor Knights Lily, from 'xeros' dry
