Skip to main content

Japonicus

/ja-PON-ih-kus/
🏷️ Taxonomy Basic

Also known as: japonica, japonicum

A geographic epithet indicating the plant is native to or was first described from Japan. It is one of the most common origin epithets in temperate horticulture, reflecting the enormous contribution of Japanese flora to Western gardens. Appears as japonicus (masculine), japonica (feminine), or japonicum (neuter).

Etymology

From New Latin Japonia (Japan) + -icus (adjectival suffix meaning "of" or "from").

Example

Camellia japonica, Acer japonicum, Kerria japonica, and Fatsia japonica all bear this epithet as a record of their Japanese origin.