The Names of Plants

Glossary melanophloeus -a -um black-barked, melano-floioj melanops black-eyed, melan-wy melanopsis -is -e very dark looking, melan-oyij melanorhodus -a -um very dark red, black and red, melano-rodon Melanoselinum Black-parsley, melano-selinon melanosporus -a -um with black spores, melano-sporoj melanostachys having black spikes (catkins), melano-staxuv melanostictus -a -um with black spotting, melano-stiktoj melanotrichus -a -um having very dark or black hair, melano-trixoj melanoxylon black-wooded, melano-culon Melanthera Black-stamened-one, melaj-anqhra Melanthium Black-flower, melaj-anqemion (the dark senescent tepals) melanus -a -um blackened, melanw, melainw Melasphaerula Little-black-globe, melaj-sfaira, Latin diminutive from sfaira Melastoma Black-mouth, melaj-stoma (the fruits stain the lips black) (Melastomataceae) Melchrus Honey-coloured, meli-xrwma (the floral glands) Meleagris, meleagris -is -e Greek name for Meleager of Calydon, chequered as is a guinea fowl (Numidia meleagris) and snake’s head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) melegueta probably from a Portuguese vernacular name for peppers, including Afromomum melegueta, grains of paradise meles badger, meles meli- honey-, meli, melitoj, mel, mellis Melia from the Greek name, melih, for ash tree (the resemblance of the leaves) (Meliaceae) Melianthus Honey-flower, meli-anqoj (Melianthaceae) Melica Honey-grass, meli, melitoj (Cesalpino’s name for a sorghum) meliciferus -era -erum music-bearing, (meloj, melikoj)-ferw Melicocca Honey-berry, meli-kokkoj (the genip tree’s very sweet fruit) Melicope Honey-parts, meli-koph (the four nectaries) Melicytus etymology uncertain (Honey-shield, meli-kutoj, for the scale on the extended connective?) melifluus -a -um with copious nectar, flowing with honey, (mel, mellis)-fluo, fluere, fluxi, fluxum Melilotus Honey-clover, meli-lwtoj (Theophrastus’ name, melilwtoj, refers to melilot’s attractiveness to honeybees) melinanthus -a -um with quince-like flowers, melinoj-anqoj, honeyed flowers Melinis Ashen-looking, melinoj (leaves are sticky haired) melinocarpus -a -um ashen-fruited, melinoj-karpoj melinus -a -um quince-like, quince-coloured; ash-like, melinoj Meliosma, meliosmus -a -um Honey-perfumed, meli-osmh (the fragrance of the flowers) meliosmifolius -a -um with leaves resembling those of Meliosma, Meliosma-folium Melissa Honeybee, melissa, melitta (named for the nymph, Melissa, who, in mythology kept bees, and for the plant’s use in apiculture) melissaefolius -a -um, melissifolius -a -um with Melissa-like leaves, Melissa-folium melissophyllus -a -um, (mellisifolius) a name in Pliny, balm-leaved, with Melissa-like leaves melitensis -is -e from Malta, Maltese (Melita) Melittis Honey-rich, melitoeij (bastard balm attracts bees, melissa, melitta) melius, melior better, improved, comparative of bonus melleus -a -um of honey, honeyed, mel, mellis (smelling or coloured) mellifer -era -erum honey-bearing, honey-making, mellifer, melliferi mellifluus -a -um with copious nectar, flowing with honey, (mel, mellis)-fluo, fluere, fluxi, fluxum mellinus -a -um the colour of honey, sweet, mellitus melliodorus -a -um, honey-smelling, mellis-(odor, odoris) 255