Selected Plants from American Eden

Plant classification is a difficult, complex global work in progress that has been underway for millennia. In the two centuries since David Hosack founded the Elgin Botanic Garden, some of the species he collected have been reclassified by botanists. Adding to the complexity, people sometimes bestowed different names on a single species, leaving later botanists to sort out which names are synonyms and which refer to distinct species. It is not always clear from Hosack’s plant lists which modern species his names correspond to. One reason for this is that Hosack studied botany in Europe at a time when many North American species had not yet been identified and named. He therefore occasionally labeled a plant with the name of a related European species. 

In American Eden, I use the plant names used by David Hosack, his teachers, his students, and his botanical friends. The table below offers a selection of plants whose common or Latin names have changed since his lifetime—or which Hosack may have mislabeled. In compiling the table, I have relied mainly on the following sources: Hosack’s 1806 and 1811 plant lists for the Elgin Botanic Garden, the writings of his British teacher William Curtis, the Plant List database (maintained by a consortium of scientific institutions), and the United States Department of Agriculture’s PLANTS Database. Further details on individual plants and on my primary and secondary sources for their names can be found in the bibliography and endnotes of American Eden. I am deeply grateful to Joel T. Fry, Curator of Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia, and to Daniel Atha, Director of Conservation Outreach at The New York Botanical Garden, for their expert counsel about Hosack’s plant lists (although neither they nor their institutions bear any responsibility for the content of this list). 

I welcome any comments, suggestions, or questions about these species names via my Contact page.

 

 

 

 

 

Historical Latin Binomial

Historical Common Name

Current Latin Binomial

Current Common Name

Current Family

Aconitum napellus L.

Wolfsbane

Aconitum napellus L.

Venus' Chariot

Ranunculaceae

Agrostemma coronaria L.

Rose Campion

Lychnis coronaria (L.) Desr.

Rose Campion

Caryophyllaceae

Aloe lingua Thunb.

Tongue Aloe

Gasteria disticha (L.) Haw.

Ox-Tongue

Xanthorrhoeaceae

Alopecurus geniculatus L.

Floating Foxtail

Alopecurus geniculatus L.

Water Foxtail, Marsh Foxtail

Poaceae

Artemisia dracunculus L.

Tarragon Wormwood

Artemisia dracunculus L.

Tarragon

Asteraceae

Artemisia vulgaris L.

Mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris L.

Common Wormwood

Asteraceae

Artocarpus incisa L.

South Sea Breadfruit Tree

Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg

Breadfruit

Moraceae

Arum virginicum L.

Arrow Arum

Peltandra virginica (L.) Schott

Green Arrow Arum

Araceae

Aucuba japonica Thunb.

Gold-Dust Tree

Aucuba japonica Thunb.

Japanese Laurel

Garryaceae

Cichorium intybus L.

Blue Succory

Cichorium intybus L.

Chicory

Asteraceae

Cineraria lanata L'Hér.

Woolly Cineraria

Pericallis lanata (L'Hér.) B. Nord.

Pericallis lanata

Asteraceae

Cnicus arvensis L.

Canada Thistle

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

Canada Thistle

Asteraceae

Convallaria multiflora L.

Common Solomon’s Seal

Polygonatum multiflorum (L.) All.

Eurasian Solomon's seal

Asparagaceae

Crocus vernus L.

Spring Crocus

Crocus vernus (L.) Hill

Dutch Crocus

Iridaceae

Eryngium aquaticum L.

Water Eryngo

Eryngium aquaticum L.

Rattlesnakemaster

Apiaceae

Fuchsia coccinea Ait.

Scarlet Fuchsia

Fuchsia elegans Salisb.

Lady's Eardrops

Onagraceae

Gnaphalium margaritaceum L.

Life-Everlasting

Anaphalis margaritacea (L.) Benth. & Hook.f.

Pearly Everlasting

Asteraceae

Hosackia stolonifera Lindl.

Creeping-Rooted Hosackia

Lotus crassifolius (Benth.) Greene

Big Deervetch

Fabaceae

Ilex cassine L.

Evergreen Cassene

Ilex vomitoria Aiton

Yaupon

Aquifoliaceae

Illicium parviflorum Mich.

Yellow flowered Aniseed Tree

Illicium parviflorum Michx. ex Vent.

Yellow Anisetree

Schisandraceae

Inga microphylla Humb.

Small Leaved Inga

Pithecellobium unguis-cati (L.) Benth.

Catclaw Blackbead

Fabaceae

Inula dysenterica L.

Common Fleabane

Pulicaria dysenterica (L.) Bernh.

Meadow False Fleabane

Asteraceae

Juncus niveus Nathh.

White-Flowered Rush

Luzula nivea (Nathh.) DC

Snowy Woodrush

Juncaceae

Menyanthes trifoliata L.

Bogbean

Menyanthes trifoliata L.

Bogbean, Buckbean

Menyanthaceae (monotype)

Myrica cerifera L.

Candleberry Myrtle

Morella cerifera (L.) Small

Wax Myrtle

Myricaceae

Pisum maritimum L.

Sea Pea

Lathyrus japonicus Willd. var. maritimus (L.) Kartesz & Gandhi

Beach Pea

Fabaceae

Prinos glaber L.

Inkberry

Ilex glabra (L.) A. Gray

Inkberry

Aquifoliaceae

Protea argentea L.

Silver Tree Protea

Leucadendron argenteum (L.) R. Br.

Silver Tree

Proteaceae

Rhododendron maximum L.

Rock Rose

Rhododendron maximum L.

Great Laurel

Ericaceae

Rosa lucida Ehrt.

Shining Leaved Rose

Rosa virginiana Mill.

Virginia Rose

Rosaceae

Rosa provincialis Ait.

Provence Rose

Rosa centifolia L.

Cabbage Rose

Rosaceae

Sambucus canadensis L.

Elderberry

Sambucus nigra L. subsp. canadensis (L.) R. Bolli

American Black Elderberry

Caprifoliaceae

Sarracenia psyttacina Michx.

Red Side Saddle Flower

Sarracenia psittacina Michx.

Parrot Pitcherplant

Sarraceniaceae

Silene ornata Ait.

Dark Flowering Catchfly

Silene bellidioides Sond.

Wild Tobacco

Caryophyllaceae

Sorghum bicolor L.

Broom Corn

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Sorghum

Poaceae

Statice limonium L.

Sea Lavender

Limonium carolinianum (Walter) Britton

Lavender Thrift

Plumbaginaceae

Tephrosia toxicaria Pers.

Fish-Poison Tephrosia

Tephrosia sinapou (Buc'hoz) A. Chev.

Hoarypea

Fabaceae

Tigridia pavonia H.P.

Mexican Tiger Flower

Tigridia pavonia (L.f.) DC

Mexican Tiger Flower

Iridaceae

Vitis rotundifolia Mich.

Bullet Grape

Vitis rotundifolia Michx.

Muscadine Grape

Vitaceae

Zanthoxylum fraxineum Willd.

Tooth-Ache Tree

Zanthoxylum americanum Mill.

Common Pricklyash

Rutaceae