Glaucus
/GLAW-kus/🏷️ Taxonomy●● Intermediate
Also known as: glauca, glaucum
A color and texture epithet describing a blue-grey, grey-green, or sea-green coloration caused by a waxy, powdery coating (bloom) on the leaf or stem surface. Glaucous foliage is highly prized in garden design for its cool tones and contrast with green-leaved plants. Appears as glaucus (masculine), glauca (feminine), or glaucum (neuter).
Etymology
From Latin glaucus, meaning "blue-grey" or "sea-green," from Greek glaukos (gleaming, grey-eyed, sea-green).
Example
“Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans', Picea pungens (blue spruce) — sometimes listed as glauca — and Eucalyptus glauca all display the distinctive blue-grey bloom that earns this epithet.”