#plant taxonomy

• Arundo — A genus of perennial herbaceous plants in the family Poaceae (grasses), characterized by extremely tall, rigid, lignified, and knotty arundiform stems resembling bamboo. These plants grow wild or cultivated in temperate and subtropical regions, preferring moist soils along watercourses, and have been historically used for making wind musical instruments, roofing, or as biomass.
• Long-tailed wild ginger — The scientific name of the British Columbia wild ginger or long-tailed wild ginger, a perennial plant species in the Aristolochiaceae family, native to the moist, forested regions of western North America. It is structurally distinguished by its unique reddish-brown flowers, whose sepals extend into very long, narrow tail-like lobes.
• European wild ginger — The scientific name of a perennial herbaceous plant in the Aristolochiaceae family, commonly known as European wild ginger. The plant grows wild in shaded deciduous forests across Europe, featuring glossy kidney-shaped leaves and creeping rhizomes with a peppery scent, historically used in traditional medicine despite containing asarone, a substance with high toxic potential.
• Asarum virginicum — A species of evergreen perennial herbaceous plant native to the southeastern United States, historically known in taxonomy under this academic name and currently classified as Hexastylis virginica. Characterized structurally by its persistent, heart-shaped leaves with a striking mottled pattern and unique flowers hidden close to the ground, it is appreciated in niche horticulture for its shade tolerance and decorative groundcover qualities.
• Shallot — A specific epithet used in botanical binomial nomenclature, most frequently associated with the species Allium ascalonicum (shallot), a vegetable plant in the Amaryllidaceae family. The name originates from Latin and historically refers to the ancient city of Ascalon (now Ashkelon, Israel), considered in antiquity to be the place of origin for these fine onion varieties.
• Asperula gussonii — The scientific name of a dwarf perennial herbaceous plant in the family Rubiaceae, endemic to the high, rocky mountain zones of Sicily (especially the Madonie Massif); this rare species forms dense, xerophytic cushions structurally adapted to survival in alpine limestone screes, featuring prostrate stems, small opposite or whorled leaves, and tubular pink or white flowers.
• Genus Asphodelus — A taxonomic genus of perennial herbaceous plants in the Asphodelaceae family, popularly known as asphodel. It includes species native to the Mediterranean region, characterized by tuberous roots, long, linear leaves, and large raceme inflorescences with white or yellowish flowers. In Greek mythology, the plant is closely linked to the underworld, believed to cover the Asphodel Meadows, the place where the souls of the dead who had committed no great crimes but achieved no heroic deeds resided.
• Asphodelus albus — A species of perennial herbaceous plants in the genus Asphodelus, popularly known as the white asphodel. It is native to Central and Southern Europe, growing on alpine meadows, pastures, and limestone slopes. The plant develops a tall, unbranched stem that can reach up to 1.5 meters in height, terminating in a dense raceme of star-shaped white flowers, with each petal featuring a distinct brown or greenish median stripe.
• Genus Asplenium — A major taxonomic genus of ferns in the Aspleniaceae family, popularly known as spleenwort; it comprises over 700 cosmopolitan species, either epiphytic or terrestrial, adapted to shaded environments, limestone rocks, and tropical tree bark. It is characterized by short rhizomes, often leathery leaves (either entire or divided), and elongated sori arranged obliquely along the secondary veins, globally cultivated as hardy ornamental plants.
• Asplenium viride — A species of small, perennial fern in the Aspleniaceae family, popularly known as green spleenwort. It is a mountain and alpine plant that grows exclusively in the crevices of damp, shaded rocks, with a strict preference for limestone substrates. It is morpho-structurally distinguished from related species by the fact that the central axis of the frond (the stipe and rachis) is entirely green along almost its entire length, being brown only at the extreme base near the rhizome.
• Astelia banksii — The scientific name of a perennial herbaceous plant species in the Asteliaceae family, endemic to the coastal areas and cliffs of the North Island of New Zealand; popularly known as wharawhara, it is characterized by dense clumps of long, leathery, sword-shaped leaves covered with protective silvery hairs, producing small, globose purple or black berries that serve as food for local wildlife.
• Aster alpinus — The scientific name of the alpine aster, a perennial herbaceous plant endemic to the high mountain regions of Europe (including the Carpathian Mountains), Asia, and North America; it grows on limestone cliffs and alpine meadows, featuring short stems, pubescent leavesarranged in a basal rosette, and large, solitary flower heads with blue-violet rays and a golden-yellow disc.
• Aster amellus — The scientific name of the European Michaelmas daisy (or Italian aster), a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to the temperate regions of Europe and Central Asia; it serves as the type species of the Aster genus and is recognized by erect, rigid stems, rough, lanceolate leaves, and flower heads clustered in corymbs, featuring blue-lilac rays and a yellow disc, blooming in late summer.
• Aster brachytrichus — The scientific name of a perennial herbaceous plant species in the Asteraceae family, native to the mountainous regions of Southwest China (Yunnan, Sichuan); it is characterized by erect stems, short and rigid hairs across its entire surface (hence the name), and decorative flower heads featuring long, pale blue or lilac ray florets and a prominent yellow disc.
• Aster canus — The scientific name of the hoary aster, a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to Eastern Europe and the Balkans (including the forest-steppe zones of Romania); it is characterized by a grayish, hoary appearance across the entire plant, caused by a dense layer of woolly hairs, and features medium-sized flower heads with lilac rays and a yellow disc.
• Aster cordifolius — The synonymous scientific name for Symphyotrichum cordifolium, a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to eastern North America; it is recognized by its heart-shaped (cordate) basal leaves and small, extremely numerous flower heads clustered in dense panicles, featuring pale blue, lilac, or white rays and a central disc that shifts from yellow to purple after pollination.
• Aster ericoides — The synonymous scientific name for Symphyotrichum ericoides, a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to central and eastern North America; it is characterized by rigid, intensely branched stems, narrow linear leaves resembling those of heath (genus Erica), and a multitude of miniature, typically white flower heads with yellow discs.
• Aster laevis — The synonymous scientific name for Symphyotrichum laeve, a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to North America; it is characterized by erect, completely smooth (glabrous) and glossy stems, leathery blue-green leaves, and attractive flower heads with intense blue-violet rays and a yellow central disc.
• Aster linosyris — The scientific name of the goldilocks aster, a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia; it grows in dry, limestone habitats and is unique among European asters due to the total absence of ray florets, the flower heads being composed exclusively of bright golden-yellow tubular florets.
• Aster novae-angliae — The scientific name of the New England aster, a massive perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family, native to central and eastern North America; characterized by tall, vigorous stems covered with harsh, glandular hairs, clasping lanceolate leaves, and large, densely clustered flower heads with intense pink-purple, violet, or magenta rays and a yellow central disc.