List of plant genus names with etymologies (D–K)

Since the first printing of Carl Linnaeus's Species Plantarum in 1753, plants have been assigned one epithet or name for their species and one name for their genus, a grouping of related species.^[1] Many of these plants are listed in Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners. William Stearn (1911–2001) was one of the pre-eminent British botanists of the 20th century: a Librarian of the Royal Horticultural Society, a president of the Linnean Society and the original drafter of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants.^[2]^[3]

The first column below contains seed-bearing genera from Stearn and other sources as listed, excluding those names that no longer appear in more modern works, such as Plants of the World by Maarten J. M. Christenhusz (lead author), Michael F. Fay and Mark W. Chase.^[4] Plants of the World is also used for the family and order classification for each genus. The second column gives a meaning or derivation of the word, such as a language of origin. The last two columns indicate additional citations.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

List of plant genus names with etymologies (D–K)

Key

Genera

See also

Notes

Citations

References

Further reading

Wikiwand - on

Genera
Genus^[b]	Meaning or derivation	Family^[4]	Order^[4]	Ref	G
Dacrydium	teardrop (the resin)	Podocarpaceae	Pinales	CS	G
Dactylicapnos	finger + smoke	Papaveraceae	Ranunculales	Ba
Dactylis	Greek and Latin name^[c]	Poaceae	Poales	CS	G
Dactylorhiza	finger root (the tubers)	Orchidaceae	Asparagales	CS
Daemonorops	demon shrub (the sharp hooks)	Arecaceae	Arecales	St	G
Dais	torch (the flower heads)	Thymelaeaceae	Malvales	St	G
Damasonium	Greek name	Alismataceae	Alismatales	St	G
Danae	Danaë of mythology^[d]	Asparagaceae	Asparagales	CS	G
Danais	Danaïdes, or Danais, a nymph	Rubiaceae	Gentianales	Bu
Daphne	Daphne of mythology	Thymelaeaceae	Malvales	CS	G
Daphniphyllum	leaves like Daphne^[4]	Daphniphyllaceae	Saxifragales	CS	G
Dasiphora	hair-bearing	Rosaceae	Rosales	Ba
Dasylirion	thick lily	Asparagaceae	Asparagales	CS	G
Datisca	Greek and Latin name^[4]	Datiscaceae	Cucurbitales	CS	G
Datura	Sanskrit and Arabic name	Solanaceae	Solanales	CS	G
Daucus	Latin name	Apiaceae	Apiales	CS	G
Decazyx	Decatropidinae + Xanthoxyleae, two subtribes of Rutaceae	Rutaceae	Sapindales	Bu
Decodon	ten teeth (on the calyx)	Lythraceae	Myrtales	St	G
Decumaria	ten (flower parts)	Hydrangeaceae	Cornales	CS	G
Deianira	Deianira, a mythological princess	Gentianaceae	Gentianales	Bu
Deidamia	Deidamia, a mythological princess	Passifloraceae	Malpighiales	Bu
Deinanthe	amazing flowers	Hydrangeaceae	Cornales	St	G
Delonix	prominent claw (on the petals)	Fabaceae	Fabales	St	G
Delosperma	visible seeds (inside the capsule)	Aizoaceae	Caryophyllales	CS	G
Delostoma	visible mouth (the open flowers)	Bignoniaceae	Lamiales	St	G
Delphinium	Greek name	Ranunculaceae	Ranunculales	CS	G
Dendrobium	tree life (growing on trees)	Orchidaceae	Asparagales	St	G
Dendrocalamus	tree reed	Poaceae	Poales	St	G
Dendrochilum	tree lips	Orchidaceae	Asparagales	St	G
Dendromecon	tree poppy	Papaveraceae	Ranunculales	CS	G
Dendropanax	tree Panax	Araliaceae	Apiales	St	G
Denmoza	anagram of Mendoza, a province of Argentina	Cactaceae	Caryophyllales	St
Derris	leather covering (the seed pods)	Fabaceae	Fabales	St
Desmanthus	bundled flower (the clusters)	Fabaceae	Fabales	CS	G
Desmodium	chain (the fruit)	Fabaceae	Fabales	CS	G
Desmoncus	chain hook (the leaf tips)	Arecaceae	Arecales	St	G
Deverra	Deverra, a goddess	Apiaceae	Apiales	Bu
Dianella	Diana of mythology + little	Asphodelaceae	Asparagales	CS	G
Dianthus	Greek name	Caryophyllaceae	Caryophyllales	CS	G
Diapensia	Greek name^[4]	Diapensiaceae	Ericales	St	G