Since Latin became the standard language for plant naming in the eighteenth century, it has been intrinsically linked with botany. And while mastery of the classical language may not be a prerequisite for tending perennials, all gardeners stand to benefit from learning a bit of Latin and its conventions in the field. Without it, they might buy a "Hellebores foetidus "and be unprepared for its fetid smell, or a "Potentilla reptans "with the expectation that it will stand straight as a sentinel rather than creep along the ground. An essential addition to the gardener s library, this...
Since Latin became the standard language for plant naming in the eighteenth century, it has been intrinsically linked with botany. And while master...