Americanus
/a-mer-ih-KAH-nus/🏷️ Taxonomy● Basic
Also known as: americana, americanum
A geographic epithet indicating the plant is native to North or South America. It is one of the most common origin epithets applied by early European botanists discovering New World flora. Appears as americanus (masculine), americana (feminine), or americanum (neuter).
Etymology
From New Latin Americanus, from America, named for explorer Amerigo Vespucci.
Example
“Wisteria americana, Sambucus canadensis (American elder), and Liriodendron tulipifera — sometimes labelled americanum — all signal their New World origins through geographic epithets.”