Plant Pronunciation Guide I-J-K-L

A guide to help you pronounce Botanical names.

 

 

Genus — I	species	pronunciation
Ilex		EYE-leks
	glabra	GLAB-rah
	verticillata	ver-tiss-ill-LAY-tah
Impatiens		im-PAY-shenz
	auricoma	or-ih-KOE-mah
	walleriana	wall-err-ee-AY-nah
Ipomoea		eye-poe-MEE-ah
	batatas	bah-TAY-tas
Iresine		ee-reh-SEE-nee
	lindenii	lin-DEN-ee-eye
Iris		EYE-riss
	pseudacorus	soo-DAY-kor-us
	reticulata	reh-tik-yew-LAY-tah
	tectorum	tek-TOR-um
Itea		IT-ee-ah
	virginica	ver-JIN-ih-kah

Genus — J	species	pronunciation
Jasminum		jas-MEE-num
	beesianum	beez-ee-AH-num
	floridum	FLOR-ih-dum
	humile	HUM-ih-lee
	mesnyi	MES-nee-eye
	nudiflorum	new-dih-FLOOR-um
	officinale	oh-fi-shi-NAH-lee
	parkeri	PAR-ker-eye
	sambac	SAM-bak
	stephanense	stef-an-EN-see
Jeffersonia		jef-er-SON-ee-ah
Jovibarba		yov-ih-BAR-ba
	arenaria	a-ray-NAH-ree-uh
	hirta	HER-tah
Juglans		JUE-glanz
	nigra	NY-grah
	regia	REE-jih-ah
Juncus		YUNG-kus
Juniperus		joo-NIP-er-us
	chinensis	chih-NEN-sis
	communis	kom-MEW-nis
	conferta	kon-FER-tah
	davurica	day-VUR-ih-ka
	deppeana	dep-pee-AY-nah
	horizontalis	hor-ih-zon-TAY-lis
	procumbens	proe-KUM-benz
	rigida	RIJ-ih-dah
	sabina	sah-BY-nah
	scopulorum	skop-yew-LOR-um
	silicicola	si-lis-ih-KOE-lah
	squamata	skah-MAY-tah
	virginiana	ver-jin-ih-AY-nah
	wallichiana	wall-lik-ee-AY-na

Genus — K	species	pronunciation
Kadsura		KAD-ser-ah
	japonica	jah-PON-ih-kah
Kaempferia		kemp-FER-ee-ah
Kalimeris		kal-ih-MER-is
	pinnatifida	pin-ah-TIF-ih-dah
Kalmia		KAL-mih-ah
	angustifolia	an-gus-tih-FOE-lee-ah
	cuneata	koo-nee-AY-tah
	latifolia	lat-ih-FOE-lih-ah
Kalopanax		kal-oh-PAN-aks
	pictus	PIK-tus
Kerria		KER-ih-ah
	japonica	jah-PON-ih-kah
Kirengeshoma		ki-reng-ge-SHOW-ma
	koreana	kor-ee-AH-nah
	palmata	pahl-MAH-ta
Knautia		not-EE-ah
Kniphofia		ny-FOE-fee-ah
	foliosa	foe-lee-OH-sah
	galpinii	gal-PIN-ee-eye
	triangularis	try-an-gew-LAH-ris
	uvaria	yew-VAR-ee-ah
Kochia		KOE-kee-ah
	scoparia	skoe-PAH-ree-ah
	trichophylla	trih-KAH-fil-ah
Koelreuteria		kol-ra-TEE-rih-ah
	bipinnata	by-pin-AY-ta
	elegans	ELL-eh-ganz
	paniculata	pah-nik-yew-LAY-tah
	bipinnata	by-pin-AY-ta
Kolkwitzia		kolk-WIT-zih-ah
	amabilis	ah-MAB-ah-lis
Kostelezkya		kos-tel-lets-KEE-ah

Genus — L	species	pronunciation
Lamium		Lay-mee-um
	maculatum	mak-yew-LAY-tum
Lantana		lan-TAN-ah
	camara	cah-MAR-ah
Larix		LAR-iks
	decidua	dee-SID-yew-ah
	kaempferi	KEMP-fa-ree
	laricina	lar-ih-SEE-nah
Lavandula		lah-VAN-dew-lah
	angustifolia	an-gus-tih-FOE-lee-ah
	intermedia	in-ter-MED-ee-ah
	stoechas	STOY-kas
Leonotis		lee-oh-NO-tus
	leonurus	lee-oh-NURE-us
Leucojum		lew-KOE-jum
	aestivum	ESS-tih-vum
Ligularia		lig-yew-LAYER-ee-uh
	dentata	den-TAH-tuh
	stenocephala	sten-o-SEPH-uh-lah
	wilsoniana	wil-son-ee-AH-nah
Lilium		LIL-ee-um
Limonium		lee-MO-nee-um
	gmelinii	mel-LIN-ee-eye
Liriope		lih-RY-oh-pee
	spicata	spih-KAY-tah
Lobelia		lo-BEE-lee-ah
	cardinalis	kar-din-AL-iss
	erinus	air-EYE-nus
	ricardii	rih-CARD-ee-eye
Lobularia		lob-yew-LAR-ee-ah
	maritima	mah-RIT-ih-mah
Lupinus		loo-PY-nus
Luzula		loo-ZOO-lah
	sylvatica	sil-VAT-ih-kah
Lycoris		ly-KOR-iss
	radiata	rad-ee-AY-tah
Lysimachia		lye-sih-MAK-ee-ah
	nummularia	num-yew-LAR-ee-ah