Sclerocactus

Sclerocactus Britton & Rose ()
🌵 Author(s)

🌵 Type Sclerocactus polyancistrus
Etymology

Greek sklēros ‘hard, cruel, obstinate’ + Cactus. For “the formidable hooked spines which hold on in a most aggravating manner”. Compare Ferocactus, a rhyming name with more or less the same meaning published in the same work.


How to cite

Maarten H.J. van der Meer (2023 Jul 14). Sclerocactus. Dictionary of Cactus Names. Retrieved from https://www.cactusnames.org/sclerocactus

Pronunciation
[skler-o-KAK-tus]

A.T. Johnson, H.A. Smith & A.P. Stockdale (2019): Plant Names Simplified, 3rd Edition

[Sclerocáctus]

Helmut Genaust (1996): Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen, 3. Auflage

“Botanical Latin is essentially a written language, but the scientific names of plants often occur in speech. How they are pronounced really matters little provided they sound pleasant and are understood by all concerned.”

William T. Stearn (1983): Botanical Latin, 3rd Edition: 53