BOTANICAL NOMENCLATURE. 459 



Sempervirens. Evergreen. Lat semper, always, + vireo, to be green. 

 Senecio. Groundsel. Ragwort. Squaw- weed. From Lat. senex, old man ; 



alluding to the hoariness of some species. 

 Senega. Seneca root. From the Seneca tribe, North American Indians, 



who used it as a remedy for snake bites. 

 Senegal. Name of a country and river in W. Africa. Habitat of the 



plant Acacia Senegal. 



Senna. Senna leaves. Name derived from Arabic Sana or sena. 

 Serenoa. Saw palmetto. Named for Prof. Sereno Watson of Harvard 



University ( 1826-1892) . 



Serotinus-a-um. Late, backward ; relating to the flowers and fruit. 

 Serpentaria. Snakeroot. The ancient Latin name. From scrpcns, a 



serpent. 



Serrulatus-a-um. Serrulate, notched. From Lat. serrula, a saw. 

 Sesamum. Sesame. The classical name of the sesame. 

 Siliqua. The classical Latin name for a pod. 



Silphium. Rosin weed. Ancient Greek name of some resinous plant. 

 Simaba. Cedron. From vernacular name, Guiana. 

 Sinapis. Mustard. The ancient Greek name was oivcnrt. The Latin had 



both forms, siuapis and sinapi. 



Sinensis-e. More commonly Chinensis. Pertaining to China. 

 Sisymbrium. Hedge mustard. The ancient Greek name of a sweet-scented 



plant. 

 Smilax. Green brier, cat brier. An ancient Greek name for the yew, 



and for several plants. 



Socotrinus-a-um. Of Socotra, an island east of Africa. 

 Solanum. Nightshade. The ancient Latin name. 



Solidago. Goldenrod. From Lat. solido, to make whole, to heal ; in refer- 

 ence to its supposed healing properties. 

 Somnifer-a-um. Sleep-producing. From Lat. somnus, sleep, -f- fcro, to 



bear, bring. 



Sorbilis-e. Sorbile, fit to be drunk or sipped. Lat. sorbeo, to suck. 

 Sorbus. Mountain ash. The ancient Latin name. 

 Sorghum. Derivation uncertain. Probably of Chinese or East Indian 



origin. 



Spicatus-a-um. Supplied with spikes, spicate. 

 Spigelia. Pink root. Worm-grass. Named for Adrian von der Spiegel, 



Flemish botanist of the seventeenth century. 

 Spiraea. Hardback. Meadow-sweet. The ancient Greek name. From 



ffTreifia, a coil or twist ; from the twisting of the pods in some species. 

 Squarrosus-a-um. Scabby, scurfy, ragged. 

 Staphisagria. Stavesacre. From Gr. <rrap/Y, raisin, + ypof, wild ; the 



fruit clusters resemble wild grapes. 

 Stillingia. Named for Dr. B. Stillingfleet, English botanist of the eighteenth 



century. 



