13. Lexicon

Lexicon of Latin and other common technical terms used to describe trees.

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Genera

• Abies (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Pinaceae): Derived from Latin, meaning “fir tree.” Ancient Romans valued the tall, straight trunks of firs for shipbuilding and construction. The word may also be related to the Proto-Indo-European root abh, meaning “to flow,” referencing the tree’s resin.

• Acer (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Sapindales, Family: Sapindaceae): Latin for “sharp” or “maple,” possibly referring to the pointed shape of its leaves or the hardness of the wood, which was used for making spears and weapons in ancient times.

• Alnus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Fagales, Family: Betulaceae): Derived from Latin, meaning “alder tree.” The alder has a strong association with water, often found along rivers and wetlands. Its wood resists decay in water, making it valuable for underwater construction.

• Araucaria (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Araucariaceae): Named after the Arauco region of Chile, where the tree is native. This genus includes the famous “monkey puzzle” tree, so named because its spiny branches were thought to puzzle climbing monkeys.

• Betula (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Fagales, Family: Betulaceae): Latin for “birch,” possibly linked to the Celtic word for “bright,” referencing the pale, often luminous bark of birch trees, which was used as writing material in ancient times.

• Cedrus (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Pinaceae): Derived from Greek “kedros,” meaning “cedar.” Cedar trees, especially the Cedar of Lebanon, have been revered since ancient times for their durable and aromatic wood, often used in temples and ships.

• Corylus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Fagales, Family: Betulaceae): Latin for “hazel,” possibly related to the Greek word “korys,” meaning “helmet,” referring to the shape of the nut. Hazel wood was commonly used for making wands, rods, and divining sticks in folklore.

• Crataegus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Rosales, Family: Rosaceae): Derived from the Greek “kratos,” meaning “strength,” referring to the tree’s hard wood. Hawthorn trees are often linked to ancient hedgerows and are symbolic in many cultures for protection and fertility.

• Cupressaceae (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales): Latin for “cypress family.” This family includes many evergreen conifers known for their fragrant wood and symbolic association with mourning, as cypress trees were often planted in cemeteries.

• Fagus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Fagales, Family: Fagaceae): Latin for “beech tree.” Beechwood was highly valued by ancient peoples for its smooth texture and was often used in making furniture and writing tablets.

• Fraxinus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Lamiales, Family: Oleaceae): Latin for “ash tree.” The ash tree has been revered in many mythologies, including Norse culture, where the World Tree, Yggdrasil, was believed to be an ash.

• Ilex (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Aquifoliales, Family: Aquifoliaceae): Latin for “holm oak” or “holly.” The sharp, spiny leaves of holly were historically thought to ward off evil spirits, and the tree is strongly associated with Christmas traditions.

• Juglans (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Fagales, Family: Juglandaceae): Derived from Latin Jovis glans, meaning “the nut of Jupiter” (walnut). The walnut was highly esteemed by the Romans, who associated it with the king of the gods due to its strength, durability, and valuable fruit.

• Juniperus (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Cupressaceae): Latin for “juniper.” Juniper berries were used for medicinal purposes and as a flavoring for gin. The tree’s ability to thrive in poor soils made it symbolic of resilience and protection.

• Larix (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Pinaceae): Latin for “larch.” The larch is unique among conifers for shedding its needles in the winter, symbolizing renewal and adaptability in many cultural traditions.

• Malus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Rosales, Family: Rosaceae): Latin for “apple tree.” The apple has been a symbol of knowledge, temptation, and immortality in various mythologies, including the story of the Garden of Eden.

• Morus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Rosales, Family: Moraceae): Latin for “mulberry tree.” Mulberries were linked to Greek mythology, particularly in the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, where the berries turned red to symbolize their tragic love.

• Picea (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Pinaceae): Latin for “spruce,” related to “pix” (pitch), referring to the tree’s resin. Spruce wood has been prized for its use in musical instruments like violins and guitars.

• Pinus (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Pinaceae): Latin for “pine tree.” Pine trees are known for their resin, which was historically used to make pitch and tar. They are symbols of longevity and immortality in many cultures due to their evergreen nature.

• Populus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Malpighiales, Family: Salicaceae): Latin for “poplar,” meaning “of the people,” possibly referring to its widespread presence in communal areas such as town squares and along roads.

• Prunus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Rosales, Family: Rosaceae): Latin for “plum tree.” This genus includes a wide range of fruiting trees, such as plums, cherries, and almonds, which were prized in ancient cultures for their beauty and bounty.

• Pterocarya (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Fagales, Family: Juglandaceae): Greek for “winged nut,” referring to the winged fruit produced by these trees. The name reflects the tree’s distinctive seed dispersal mechanism.

• Quercus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Fagales, Family: Fagaceae): Latin for “oak tree.” Oaks have been revered throughout history as symbols of strength, endurance, and wisdom, often associated with gods and kings.

• Robinia (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Fabales, Family: Fabaceae): Named after Jean Robin, a French botanist who introduced the locust tree to Europe. Robinia species are known for their nitrogen-fixing ability, enriching the soils where they grow.

• Rosa (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Rosales, Family: Rosaceae): Latin for “rose.” Roses have been cultivated since ancient times for their beauty, fragrance, and symbolic association with love, secrecy, and purity.

• Sequoia (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Cupressaceae): Named after Sequoyah, a Cherokee scholar who created the Cherokee syllabary. The giant sequoia is one of the largest and longest-living trees on earth, symbolizing majesty and endurance.

• Taxus (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Taxaceae): Latin for “yew tree.” The yew has long been associated with death and immortality due to its presence in churchyards and its long life span, sometimes exceeding a thousand years.

• Tsuga (Class: Pinopsida, Order: Pinales, Family: Pinaceae): Japanese for “hemlock.” Hemlocks are graceful evergreen trees often found in temperate forests, known for their soft needles and shade tolerance.

• Ulmus (Class: Magnoliopsida, Order: Rosales, Family: Ulmaceae): Latin for “elm tree.” Elms have historically been symbols of strength and utility, often planted along avenues and in public spaces. Elm wood was commonly used for making wheel hubs and furniture.

Flower Related

• Ament: From Latin “amentum”, meaning “thong” or “strap,” referring to the long, slender, unisexual flower clusters seen in hazels and oaks.

• Catkin: Derived from the Dutch word “katteken”, meaning “kitten,” due to the resemblance of the soft, drooping inflorescence to a kitten’s tail. Catkins are clusters of small, wind-pollinated flowers, common in trees like birch and oak.

• Cyme: From Latin “cyma”, meaning “young shoot” or “sprout,” referring to an inflorescence where the terminal flower opens first, seen in trees like linden.

• Panicle: From Latin “panicula”, meaning “tuft” or “panicle,” referring to a branched inflorescence with flowers on stalks arising from various points, common in trees like horse chestnut.

• Raceme: From Latin “racemus”, meaning “cluster of grapes,” referring to the elongated inflorescence where flowers are borne on individual stalks along a central axis, typical in species like black locust.

• Umbel: From Latin “umbella”, meaning “little shadow” or “parasol,” referring to the umbrella-like structure. In an umbel, flower stalks radiate from a single point, common in plants like cow parsley and rowan.

Other

• Eudicots derives from the Greek prefix “eu-”, meaning true, genuine or good, and the word “dicots”, which refers to dicotyledons, or plants with two seed leaves (cotyledons).

• Gymnosperm The word gymnosperm is derived from γυμνός (gymnos), naked, and σπέρμα (sperma), seed, referring to the seeds that are formed on the sporophylls without a covering. Part of the gymnosperms are called conifers, from κώνος (conos), a cone, and φέρουν (feroun), to bear, refer- ring to the cones in which seeds and pollen are formed.

Glossary of Terms

Alternate:

A leaf arrangement in which leaves are spaced singly at different heights along the stem.

Bipinnate:

A compound leaf arrangement where each leaflet is itself divided into smaller leaflets.

Catkin:

A slim, cylindrical flower cluster (inflorescence) with inconspicuous or no petals, usually wind-pollinated.

Compound:

A leaf type composed of multiple leaflets attached to a single stem or petiole.

Cone:

A woody or fleshy seed-bearing structure found in conifers and some other plants, typically with overlapping scales.

Cylindrical:

Having the shape of a cylinder, often used to describe long, tube-like plant structures such as cones.

Deciduous:

A plant that sheds its leaves annually, typically in autumn.

Dioecious:

A plant species that has separate male and female plants, each producing only one type of flower.

Drupes:

Fleshy fruit with a single seed enclosed by a hard shell, typical of plants like cherries and olives.

Entire:

A leaf margin that is smooth and lacks any indentations, teeth, or serrations.

Fan-shaped:

A leaf shape that is broad and rounded, resembling a fan, typical of Ginkgo biloba.

Fissured:

A deeply grooved or cracked bark texture, often found on mature trees.

Hermaphrodite:

A plant species that has flowers with both male and female reproductive organs.

Lanceolate:

A long and narrow leaf shape, wider in the middle and tapering toward both ends, resembling a lance.

Lobed:

A leaf shape where the blade has rounded or pointed projections (lobes), separated by sinuses.

Monoecious:

A plant species that has both male and female flowers on the same plant.

Obovate:

A leaf shape that is wider at the tip than at the base, like an upside-down egg.

Ovate:

An egg-shaped leaf, broader at the base and tapering toward the tip.

Palmate:

A leaf shape where lobes or leaflets spread out from a central point, like fingers from the palm of a hand.

Pinnate:

A leaf arrangement in which leaflets are arranged along either side of a central stem (rachis), resembling a feather.

Samaras:

Winged seeds that are dispersed by wind, typical of maples and ashes.

Scale-like:

A type of leaf or needle that is small, flat, and often overlaps like scales on a fish or a reptile.

Serrated:

A leaf margin that has sharp, tooth-like projections along the edge.

Sinuses:

The spaces or indentations between the lobes of a leaf.

Simple:

A leaf type that consists of a single, undivided blade, as opposed to compound leaves, which are divided into multiple leaflets.

Spiny:

A leaf or margin that has sharp, pointed projections, often for protection.

Toothed:

A leaf margin with small, pointed teeth along the edge.

Whorled:

A leaf arrangement in which three or more leaves are attached at a single point around the stem.

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