PLANT NAMES 73 



Primula, Primrose (no connection with Rose), 

 from primus, first, early flowering. 



Pteris, Bracken, fronds like wings. 



Pterocarya, from pteris, a wing, and karuon, a 

 nut — winged seeds. 



Pumpkin, Greek pepon, a kind of Melon; from 

 pepto, to ripen (then easily digested; compare 

 dyspeptic) . 



Pyrethrum, from pur, fire, referring to its acrid 

 roots. 



Raisin, from racemus, a cluster. 



Raspberry, the rough berry, like a rasp. 



Retinospora, from retina, resin, and sporon, seed. 

 (This is not now a genus; it is merged in Cupressus.) 



Rhamnus, a Celtic word signifying a tuft of 

 branches. 



Rhaphiolepis, from rhaphis, a needle, and lepis, 

 a scale, referring to the shape of bracts. 



Rhaphithamnus, the Needle Shrub. 



Rhododendron, the Rose Tree. 



Rubus, from ruber, red, referring to the colour 

 of the fruit. (But the Blackberry is Rubus fruti- 

 cosus.) 



Ruscus, Butcher's Broom, is from two Celtic 

 words meaning Box and Holly. 



Salpiglossis, from salpinx, a trumpet, and 

 glossa, a tongue. Shape of flowers with tongue-like 

 style. 



Sanguinaria, from sanguis, blood, the red juice. 



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