Many plants\u2019 specific epithets describe their leaves, ending in folia (leaf in Latin) or phylla (leaf in Greek). We may immediately recognize the broad-leafedness of plants named \u201clatifolia.\u201d Typha latifolia<\/i> is common Cattail; Kalmia latifolia<\/i> is Mountain laurel. But then there are plants named \u201cangustifolia\u201d, usually translated as narrow-leafed: Typha angustifolia<\/i> is the more salt-tolerant narrow-leaf cattail; Kalmia angustifolia<\/i> is sheep laurel from the coastal plain. \u201cAngustifolia\u201d comes from the Latin angere<\/i> to strangle, and is related to angst and anxious. Then there are big leaves, as in Magnolia grandifolia<\/i> or Eurybia macrophylla<\/i> (big-leaf aster); splendid leaves as in Physocarpus opulifolius<\/i> (ninebark) and another name for narrow leaves in Pycnanthemum tenuifolium<\/i> (narrowleaved mountainmint). And after Kevin Heffernan\u2019s dance, who can forget Oplismenus<\/i> hirtellus<\/i> ssp.\u00a0undulatifolius<\/i> \u2013 wavy leaf basket grass?<\/p>\n
Other names compare the leaves of one plant to another that we are supposed to recognize, and sometimes we do! Ambrosia artemisiifolium<\/i> (common ragweed with leaves like mugwort or wormwood); Antennaria plantaginifolia<\/i> (plantain-leaved pussytoes); Betula populifolia<\/i> (gray birch with leaves like eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides<\/i>) Clethra alnifolia<\/i> (sweet pepperbush or summersweet with leaves like Alnus<\/i> or alder); Euthamia<\/i> (formerly Solidago<\/i>) graminifolia<\/i> (flat-topped goldenrod with leaves like grass); Veronica hederifolia<\/i> (ivy-leaved speedwell: that invasive little annual that covers the forest floor along with the spring beauties); Viburnum acerifolium<\/i> and V. prunifolium<\/i> (maple-leaf viburnum and blackhaw, with leaves shaped like cherry leaves); and Viola primulifolia<\/i> (primrose-leaved violet).<\/span><\/p>\n And some names count leaves or leaflets. Two: Jeffersonia diphylla<\/i> (twinleaf) and Cardamine<\/i> (formerly Dentaria<\/i>) diphylla<\/i> (crinkleroot or two-leaved toothwort), though here the number reminds us as well that there are two very different kinds of leaves: two narrow, three-part leaves on the flowering stem, as compared to broad, sometimes evergreen three-parted basal leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n Three: Arisaema triphyllum<\/i> (jack-in-the-pulpit); Gillenia trifoliata<\/i> (Bowman\u2019s root); Staphylea trifolia<\/i> (bladdernut, and here the \u201cphyl\u201d in the genus name does not refer to leaves: staphyle<\/i> is Greek for a cluster of grapes, and refers to the fruit); Ptelea trifoliata<\/i> (wafer ash); and Panax trifolius<\/i> (dwarf ginseng).<\/span><\/p>\n And five: Parthenocissus quinquefolia<\/i> (Virginia creeper, which hopes you\u2019ll count its five leaflets and not poison it thinking it is poison ivy) and Panax quinquefolius<\/i> (the real ginseng you were all waiting for).<\/span><\/p>\n Margaret Chatham<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many plants\u2019 specific epithets describe their leaves, ending in folia (leaf in Latin) or phylla (leaf in Greek). We may immediately recognize the broad-leafedness of plants named \u201clatifolia.\u201d Typha latifolia is common Cattail; Kalmia latifolia is Mountain laurel. But then there are plants named \u201cangustifolia\u201d, usually translated as narrow-leafed: Typha angustifolia is the more salt-tolerant…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18589,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"tpl-sidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1146","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n