Plant Pronunciation Guide Q-R-S

A guide to help you pronounce Botanical names.

 

 

Genus — Q	species	pronunciation
Quercus		KWER-kus
	acuta	ah-kew-tah
	acutissima	ah-kew-TIS-ih-ma
	alba	AL-bah
	bicolor	BY-kul-or
	cerris	SER-ris
	cok-SIN-ee-ah	SER-ris
	ellipsoidalis	ee-lip-soy-DAH-lis
	falcata	fal-KAY-tah
	frainetto	fran-ET-oh
	glauca	GLOU-kah
	georgiana	jorj-ee-AH-nah
	hemisphaerica	hem-ih-SFER-ik-ah
	imbricaria	im-bri-KAY-rih-ah
	laevis	LEE-vis
	lyrata	ly-RAY-tah
	macrocarpa	ma-krow-CAR-pah
	marilandica	mar-ih-LAN-dih-kah
	michauxii	mih-SHOW-ee-eye
	muehlenbergii	mew-len-BER-jee-eye
	myrsinifolia	mer-sin-ih-FOE-lih-ah
	nuttallii	new-TAL-lee-eye
	nigra	NY-grah
	oglethorpensis	oh-gle-thorp-EN-sis
	palustris	pah-LUS-tris
	petraea	peh-TREE-ah
	phellos	FEL-ohs
	phillyraeoides	fil-ee-ree-OY-deez
	prinus	PRY-nus
	robur	ROW-ber
	rubra	REW-brah
	salicina	sal-is-EE-nah
	shumardii	shew-MAR-dee-eye
	stellata	stel-LAY-tah
	variabilis	ver-ih-AB-ih-lis
	velutina	veh-LEW-tih-nah
	virginiana	ver-jin-ee-AH-nah

Genus — R	species	pronunciation
Ranunculus		rah-NUN-kew-lus
	repens	REE-penz
Rhododendron		roe-doe-DEN-dron
	macrophyllum	mak-row-FIL-um
Rhus		rus
	copallina	koe-pah-LEE-nah
	latifolia	lat-ih-FOE-lee-ah
	typhina	ty-FEE-nah
Ribes		RYE-beez
	alpinum	al-PINE-um
	odoratum	oh-dor-AY-tum
	sanguineum	san-GWIN-eeum
	speciosum	spee-see-OH-sum
Ricinus		RY-sin-us
	communis	com-MEW-nis
Rodgersia		rod-JER-zee-ah
	aesculifolia	ess-kew-lih-FOE-lee-ah
Rohdea		ROE-dee-ah
	japonica	jah-PON-ih-kah
Rosa		ROE-sah
	banksiae	BANK-see-ay
Rosmarinus		ross-mah-RYE-ness
	officinalis	oh-fi-shi-NAH-lis
Rudbeckia		rud-BEK-ee-ah
	fulgida	FULL-jih-dah
	hirta	HER-tah
	laciniata	lass-in-ee-AY-tah
	nitida	NIT-ih-dah
	occidentalis	ok-si-den-TAH-lis
	sullivantii	sul-lih-VAN-tee-eye
	triloba	tri-LOW-bah
Ruellia		roo-EL-ee-ah
	elegans	EL-eh-ganz
Rumex		ROO-mex
	acetosella	ass-eh-TOW-sell-ah
Ruta		ROO-tah
	graveolens	grav-ee-OH-lenz

Genus — S	species	pronunciation
Saccharum		SAK-har-um
	officinarum	of-fi-shi-NAR-um
	ravennae	rah-VEN-nay
Salix		SAY-lix
	integra	in-TEG-rah
Salvia		SAL-vee-uhh
	angustifolia	an-gus-tih-FOE-lee-ah
	azurea	ah-ZUR-ee-ah
	coccinea	kok-SIN-ee-uh
	darcyi	DAR-see-eye
	elegans	EL-eh-ganz
	farinacea	fair-in-AY-see-ah
	guaranitica	gwar-an-IT-ih-kah
	koyamae	koy-YAM-aye
	leucantha	lew-KAN-thah
	nemorosa	nem-or-OH-sah
	officinalis	oh-fi-shi-NAH-lis
	splendens	SPLEN-denz
	sylvestris	sil-VES-tris
	superba	soo-PER-bah
	uliginosa	ew-li-gi-NO-sah
	urica	YURE-ih-kah
	vanhouttei	van-HOOT-ee-eye
Sambucus		sam-BOO-kus
	canadensis	kan-ah-DEN-sis
	nigra	NY-grah
	racemosa	rass-ih-MO-sah
Sanguinaria		san-gwin-AIR-ee-ah
	canadensis	kan-ah-DEN-sis
Santolina		san-toe-LEE-nah
	chamaecyparissus	kam-ah-sip-ar-ISS-us
	pinnata	pin-AH-tuh
	neopolitana	nee-ah-po-lih-TAH-nuh
	rosmarinifolia	rose-mah-ren-ih-FO-lee-uh
	virens	VIH-rens
Saponaria		sap-oh-NAR-ee-ah
	caespitosa	ky-spih-TOW-suh
Sarcococca		sar-ko-KOAK-ah
	confusa	kon-FU-sa
	hookeriana	hook-er-ee-AH-nah
	ruscifolia	rus-ki-FO-lee-ah
	saligna	sal-IG-nah
Saruma		sah-ROO-mah
	henryi	HEN-ree-eye
Satureja		sat-ur-AY-ah
	montana	mon-TAN-ah
Saxifraga		saks-IF-rah-gah
	stolonifera	sto-lon-IF-er-ah
Scabiosa		skab-ee-OH-sah
	atropurpurea	aht-row-pur-PURE-ee-uh
	caucasica	kaw-KEH-sih-uh
	columbaria	kuh-lum-BAH-ree-uh
	graminifolia	grah-mih-nih-FAH-lee-uh
	ochroleuca	oh-kro-LOO-kah
Scaevola		skay-VO-lah
	aemula	EYE-mew-lah
Schizachyrium		skiz-ah-KEER-ee-um
	scoparium	skoe-PAR-ee-um
Sedum		SEE-dum
	acre	A-ker
	alboroseum	al-bo-ROE-see-um
	aizoon	AYE-zoon
	kamtschaticum	kamt-SHAW-tih-kum
	oreganum	or-reh-GAH-num
	sexangulare	sex-ang-yew-LAIR-ay
	spathulifolium	spath-ew-li-FOE-lee-um
	spectabile	spek-TAB-ill-ee
	spurium	SPUR-ee-um
	telephium	tel-EF-ee-um
	ternatum	ter-NA-tum
Senecio		sen-EE-see-oh
	cineraria	sin-er-AIR-ee-ah
	serpens	SIR-penz
	viravira	veer-ah-VEER-ah
Silene		sy-LEE-nee
	acaulis	uh-KAW-liss
	alpestris	al-PES-tris
	armeria	ar-MEH-ree-uh
	caroliniana	kar-ah-lin-ee-AY-nuh
	coeli-rosea	KOY-lee-RAH-see-uh
	compacta	com-PAK-tuh
	pendula	pen-DEW-luh
	polypetala	pah-LEE-pet-uh-luh
	regia	REE-jee-ah
	schafta	SHAF-tuh
	vulgaris	vul-GAH-ris
Sisyrinchium		sis-ih-RIN-kee-um
	angustifolium	an-gus-tih-FOE-lee-um
Skimmia		SKIM-eeh-ah
	japonica	jah-PON-ih-kah
Solanum		so-LAY-num
	quitoense	KEE-toe-ense
Solenostemon		sol-en-oh-STEM-on
	scutellarioides	skoot-el-lar-ee-OY-deez
Solidago		sol-ih-DAY-go
	rugosa	roo-GO-sah
	sphacelata	sfass-el-AY-tah
Sorghastrum		sor-GAS-trum
	nutans	NEW-tanz
Spiraea		spy-REE-ah
	cinerea	sin-AIR-ee-ah
	japonica	jah-PON-ih-kah
Sporobolus		spoor-OB-oh-lus
	heterolepsis	het-er-oh-LEP-sis
	wrightii	RITE-ee-eye
Stachys		STAK-iss
	byzantina	bye-zan-TEEN-ah
Stewartia		stew-AR-tee-ah
	pseudocamellia	soo-doe-kah-MEL-ee-ah
Stipa		STY-pah
	tenuissima	ten-yew-ISS-ih-mah
Stokesia		sto-KEE-see-ah
	laevis	LAY-viss
Strobilanthes		stroe-bih-LAN-theez
	dyerianus	dy-err-ee-AY-nus
Styrax		STY-rax
	japonicus	jah-PON-ih-kus
	obassia	oh-BASS-ee-ah
Sutera		soo-TAIR-ah
Symphoricarpos		sim-for-ih-KAR-pos
	doorenbosii	door-en-BO-see-eye
Syringa		sih-RING-gah
	chinensis	chih-NEN-sis
	hyacinthiflora	hy-ah-sin-thih-FLOW-rah
	josikaea	jos-IK-ee-ah
	laciniata	la-sin-EE-ay-tah
	meyeri	MY-er-eye
	microphylla	my-kro-FIL-ah
	oblata	ob-LAY-tah
	patula	PAT-yew-lah
	pekinensis	pee-kin-EN-sis
	persica	PER-sih-kah
	reflexa	ree-FLEK-sah
	reticulata	reh-tik-yew-LAY-tah
	sweginzowii	sweg-in-ZOE-ee-eye
	villosa	vil-LOE-sah
	vulgaris	vul-GAH-ris