Plant names and their meanings

I'm fascinated by plant names, both Latin and English; what they mean and why.

For example, who is Shirley who has a tomato  and a Poppy named after her?

Its not as it seems!
Shirley poppies were bred by Rev Wilks, the Vicar of the parish of Shirley from a stray found in his garden in 1880. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_poppy

.............but did the Shirley tomato also have its origins in the parish?
I don't know ............yet!

If you know any stories behind the names, please share them.

The Aztecs used a plant they called "accotli" (literally "hollow pipe") to water their crops. This tall plant grew to 10m/30' tall and the stems were felled to take water to the crops.
In 1789 specimens of accotli were collected and sent to the Royal Gardens in Madrid, where the curator l'Abbe Cavanilles, named the flowers after his Swedish horticultural assistant, Andreas Dahl.


The dahlia had arrived in Europe.

The Aztecs used a plant they called "accotli" (literally "hollow pipe") to water their crops. This tall plant grew to 10m/30' tall and the stems were felled to take water to the crops.
In 1789 specimens of accotli were collected and sent to the Royal Gardens in Madrid, where the curator l'Abbe Cavanilles, named the flowers after his Swedish horticultural assistant, Andreas Dahl.


The dahlia had arrived in Europe.

Oh wow, I didn't know that! Then actually that answers a life long question of mine that I never really felt satisfied that I knew the answer to... if they're pronounced day-lee-ah or daal-ee-ah....
Dahl is pronounced like daal (the indian lentil dish), so does that mean they're pronounced daal-ee-ah?

.............and Roald Dahl who was born in Cardiff, to Norwegian parents.

Thanks to Jimny and his Flower ID question ......................

Campanula - from the family Campanulacae. Commonly know as Bellflower because the flowers are shaped like............Bells!! 
Harebells, Canterbury Bells are Campanulacae but, NOT Bluebells unless you're in Scotland where they call Harebells Bluebells!

Campanology is the study of bell casting and ringing and Campanologists are the people who jump up and down on the end of ropes ringing the bells!
Freestanding belltowers, like the one in St Mark's Square in Venice are called  Campanile.

If you want to identify a plant with a bell-shaped flower - think Campanula first. 

Here's a few off the top of my head for anyone who'd interested.

Iris - Greek goddess of rainbow

Narcissus - an ancient Greek hunter knows for his beauty, fell in love with his own reflection in a pool of water (nodding downtunlrned heads of daffodils) and depending on your preferred myth killed himself because he couldn't touch that which he thought was so beautiful or simply sat by the pool entranced by his own beauty until he died.

Gladiolus - Latin, diminutive form of gladius (gladiator) meaning sword.

Hyacinth- hyacinths was a spartan prince and lover of apollo. Apollo and hyacinths were playing quoits one day when zephyrus (God of west winds) was jealous of their love as he fancied hyacinths too. He blew apollos discus off course and it struck and killed hyacinthus. Apollo formed the flower hyacinth out of hyacinthus spilt blood and wrote the word "Al Al" (alas) on the petals.

I've nothing to add ........but thanks. Oh so interesting.

One of my long time favourites is "Daisy". Name derives from "Day's eye" because its flowers close at night and open at dawn to greet the day.

If you look at a daisy closely, the central yellow bit is actually a mass of small tubular flowers/florets.

Daisies are members of the Asteraceae/Compositae family as are lettuce, dandelions and Jerusalem artichokes. Check out the flowers on these and you'll see the similarity with Daisies.

Aquilegia gets its common name of columbine because the back of the flower looks like five doves (columba = dove).  Not the long spurred flowers of course, which was why I couldn't see the resemblance for a long time. And white flowers show it best, so here's a pic.

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Can you see the doves?

How interesting! I should really know more about that considering the work of the Swede Carl Linnaeus!