Perry's Perennial Pages, Perennial Arcade Quiz

Horticulture Word Origins and Lore
 
 Not only do I find it fun, but easier to remember plant names if you know where they come from.  Match the origin with the name.  Hopefully you'll learn a few scientific genus names in the process. Answers follow.
 
1. Latin verb "to swell up", origin of tuber a. rue
2. The Greek goddess of hunting and chastity, origin of Wormwood genus b. Polemon
3. Nootka (B.C. Indian) word for sweet, referring to the edible bulbs, a native America bulb genus (Indian Quamash) from this word c. kanna
4. this common name from the Old English "hreow", meaning sorrow and sadness d. Colchis
5. you'll recognize the genus for Jacob's Ladder in this name of a Scholar of Cappadocia (c.180BC) e. tumere
6. the genus for Avens comes from this Doric Greek name, you can probably see how they sound similar f. Artemis
7. the Greek for lovely, solitary, gives rise to a genus in the Lily family, native to central Asia g. kamas
8. an ancient Etruscan city gave its name to the catnip genus h. eremos
9. the Greek reference to a cane-like plant, recognize the genus from it? i. Nepeta
10. a minor bulb is named after this ancient city east of the Black Sea j. gaion

 
 
 
 
 

Answers:
1. e
2. f

3. g

4. a

5. b

6. j

7. h

8. i

9. c

10. d

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