See also: List of plant genus names with etymologies (A–C), List of plant genus names with etymologies (L–P) and List of plant genus names with etymologies (Q–Z). Since the first printing of Carl Linnaeus's Species Plantarum in 1753, plants have been assigned one epithet or name for their species and one name for their genus, a grouping of related species. Many of these plants are listed in Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners. William Stearn (1911–2001) was one of the pre-eminent British botanists of the 20th century: a Librarian of the Royal Horticultural Society, a president of the Linnean Society and the original drafter of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants.
The first column below contains seed-bearing genera from Stearn and other sources as listed, excluding those names that no longer appear in more modern works, such as Plants of the World by Maarten J. M. Christenhusz (lead author), Michael F. Fay and Mark W. Chase. Plants of the World is also used for the family and order classification for each genus. The second column gives a meaning or derivation of the word, such as a language of origin. The last two columns indicate additional citations. __FORCETOC__
Latin: = derived from Latin (otherwise Greek, except as noted)
Ba = listed in Ross Bayton's The Gardener's Botanical
Bu = listed in Lotte Burkhardt's Index of Eponymic Plant Names
CS = listed in both Allen Coombes's The A to Z of Plant Names and Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners
G = listed in David Gledhill's The Names of Plants
St = listed in Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners
| Meaning or derivation | Family | Order | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dacrydium | teardrop (the resin) | Pinales | CS | G | |
| Dactylicapnos | finger + smoke | Ranunculales | Ba | ||
| Dactylis | Greek and Latin name | Poales | CS | G | |
| Dactylorhiza | finger root (the tubers) | Asparagales | CS | ||
| Daemonorops | demon shrub (the sharp hooks) | Arecales | St | G | |
| Dais | torch (the flower heads) | Malvales | St | G | |
| Damasonium | Greek name | Alismatales | St | G | |
| Danae | Danaë of mythology | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Danais | Danaïdes, or Danais, a nymph | Gentianales | Bu | ||
| Daphne | Daphne of mythology | Malvales | CS | G | |
| Daphniphyllum | leaves like Daphne | Saxifragales | CS | G | |
| Dasiphora | hair-bearing | Rosales | Ba | ||
| Dasylirion | thick lily | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Datisca | Greek and Latin name | Cucurbitales | CS | G | |
| Datura | Sanskrit and Arabic name | Solanales | CS | G | |
| Daucus | Latin name | Apiales | CS | G | |
| Decazyx | Decatropidinae + Xanthoxyleae, two subtribes of Rutaceae | Sapindales | Bu | ||
| Decodon | ten teeth (on the calyx) | Myrtales | St | G | |
| Decumaria | ten (flower parts) | Cornales | CS | G | |
| Deianira | Deianira, a mythological princess | Gentianales | Bu | ||
| Deidamia | Deidamia, a mythological princess | Malpighiales | Bu | ||
| Deinanthe | amazing flowers | Cornales | St | G | |
| Delonix | prominent claw (on the petals) | Fabales | St | G | |
| Delosperma | visible seeds (inside the capsule) | Caryophyllales | CS | G | |
| Delostoma | visible mouth (the open flowers) | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Delphinium | Greek name | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Dendrobium | tree life (growing on trees) | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Dendrocalamus | tree reed | Poales | St | G | |
| Dendrochilum | tree lips | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Dendromecon | tree poppy | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Dendropanax | tree Panax | Apiales | St | G | |
| Denmoza | anagram of Mendoza, a province of Argentina | Caryophyllales | St | ||
| Derris | leather covering (the seed pods) | Fabales | St | ||
| Desmanthus | bundled flower (the clusters) | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Desmodium | chain (the fruit) | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Desmoncus | chain hook (the leaf tips) | Arecales | St | G | |
| Deverra | Deverra, a goddess | Apiales | Bu | ||
| Dianella | Diana of mythology + little | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Dianthus | Greek name | Caryophyllales | CS | G | |
| Diapensia | Greek name | Ericales | St | G | |
| Diascia | two sacs (on the flowers) | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Dicentra | two spurs (on the flowers) | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Dichelostemma | split wreath | Asparagales | Ba | G | |
| Dichondra | two lumps (the capsules) | Solanales | St | G | |
| Dichorisandra | two separate male parts (the two stamens that diverge) | Commelinales | St | G | |
| Dichroa | two colours (the flowers) | Cornales | CS | G | |
| Dicliptera | double-folding wings (within the capsules) | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Dicranostigma | forked stigmas | Ranunculales | St | G | |
| Dictamnus | Greek name | Sapindales | CS | G | |
| Dictyosperma | net seeds | Arecales | St | G | |
| Didymocarpus | double fruit (the separable capsule) | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Diegodendron | Diego-Suarez (present-day Antsiranana in northern Madagascar) + tree | Malvales | Bu | ||
| Dierama | funnel (the flowers) | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Dietes | two years or two close relations (within Iridaceae) | Asparagales | Ba | G | |
| Digitalis | derived from Latin: finger (the flowers) | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Digitaria | Latin: finger-like | Poales | Ba | G | |
| Dimorphotheca | two shapes of containers (the achenes) | Asterales | St | G | |
| Dionaea | Dione of mythology | Caryophyllales | CS | G | |
| Dionysia | Dionysus, a god | Ericales | Bu | G | |
| Dioon | two-egged (the pairs of seeds) | Cycadales | St | G | |
| Diosma | divine scent | Sapindales | St | G | |
| Diospyros | Greek name | Ericales | CS | G | |
| Dipcadi | Turkish name | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Diphylleia | two leaves | Ranunculales | St | G | |
| Diplarrena | two male parts (the fertile stamens). Previously Diplarrhena. | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Diploglottis | double-tongued (petal scales) | Sapindales | St | ||
| Dipsacus | thirst (some leaves collect water) | Dipsacales | CS | G | |
| Dipteronia | two-winged (fruit) | Sapindales | St | G | |
| Dirca | fountain of Dirce (the wet habitats) | Malvales | St | G | |
| Disa | Disa of legend | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Disanthus | paired flowers | Saxifragales | CS | G | |
| Discaria | disc (on the flowers) | Rosales | St | G | |
| Dischidia | two divisions | Gentianales | Ba | ||
| Discocactus | disc cactus | Caryophyllales | St | ||
| Diselma | two upper decks | Pinales | Ba | ||
| Disocactus | co-equal cactus (there are as many sepals as petals) | Caryophyllales | St | ||
| Disporopsis | Disporum-like | Asparagales | Ba | G | |
| Disporum | two seeds | Liliales | CS | G | |
| Distylium | two styles | Saxifragales | St | G | |
| Diuris | two tails (the two longest sepals) | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Docynia | anagram of Cydonia | Rosales | St | G | |
| Dolichandra | long male parts | Lamiales | St | ||
| Dolichos | Greek and Latin name | Fabales | St | G | |
| Donax | Greek and Latin name | Zingiberales | St | G | |
| Doronicum | Arabic name | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Doryanthes | spear of flowers | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Dovyalis | (unclear) | Malpighiales | St | ||
| Draba | Greek name | Brassicales | St | G | |
| Dracaena | dragon | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Dracocephalum | dragon head (the flowers) | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Dracophyllum | dragon leaves | Ericales | Ba | G | |
| Dracula | little dragon | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Dracunculus | little dragon (the spathe). Latin name. | Alismatales | CS | G | |
| Drimia | pungent | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Drimiopsis | Drimia-like | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Drimys | pungent | Canellales | CS | G | |
| Drosanthemum | dew flowers | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Drosera | dew (the secretions) | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Dryadella | dryads (tree nymphs) | Asparagales | Bu | ||
| Dryas | dryad | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Drypis | Greek name | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Durio | Malayan name | Malvales | St | G | |
| Dyschoriste | hard to separate, or hardly separated | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Dysosma | bad smell | Ranunculales | CS | ||
| Dysoxylum | bad wood (the smell) | Sapindales | St | ||
| Ebenus | Greek and Latin name | Fabales | St | G | |
| Ecballium | ejection (the ripe seeds are forcefully ejected) | Cucurbitales | St | G | |
| Eccremocarpus | hanging fruit | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Echidnopsis | viper-like (the stems) | Gentianales | St | ||
| Echinacea | hedgehog (the spiny scales) | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Echinocactus | hedgehog cactus | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Echinocereus | hedgehog Cereus (the spiny fruit) | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Echinochloa | hedgehog grass | Poales | St | G | |
| Echinocystis | hedgehog bladder (the fruit) | Cucurbitales | St | ||
| Echinodorus | hedgehog bag or spear | Alismatales | St | G | |
| Echinops | hedgehog-like (the thistle's flower heads) | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Echinopsis | hedgehog-like (the round cactus) | Caryophyllales | St | ||
| Echites | viper (the poisonous, entwining branches) | Gentianales | St | G | |
| Echium | Greek name | Boraginales | CS | G | |
| Edraianthus | sitting (sessile) flowers | Asterales | St | G | |
| Eidothea | Eidothea, a mythological figure | Proteales | Bu | ||
| Elaeagnus | Greek name | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Elaeis | olive (oil) | Arecales | St | G | |
| Elaeocarpus | olive (oil) fruit | Oxalidales | St | G | |
| Elaeodendron | olive tree | Celastrales | St | ||
| Elatine | Greek and Latin name | Malpighiales | St | G | |
| Elatostema | springing male parts (the erect stamens) | Rosales | St | G | |
| Elegia | elegy | Poales | Ba | ||
| Elettaria | Malabar name | Zingiberales | St | G | |
| Eleusine | Eleusis (and its temple) | Poales | St | G | |
| Eleutherococcus | unbound berries | Apiales | Ba | G | |
| Elleanthus | Helle (a mythological princess) + flower | Asparagales | Bu | ||
| Elodea | marshy | Alismatales | St | G | |
| Elymus | Greek name | Poales | CS | G | |
| Embothrium | in a little pit (the anthers) | Proteaceae | Proteales | CS | G |
| Emilia | (unknown) | Asterales | St | G | |
| Emmenanthe | lasting flowers | Boraginales | St | ||
| Emmenopterys | lasting wing (part of the calyx) | Gentianales | St | G | |
| Empetrum | (living) on rocks. Greek name. | Ericales | St | G | |
| Encelia | (unclear) | Asterales | St | G | |
| Encephalartos | in-head-bread (the mealy, edible tops of the trunks) | Cycadales | St | G | |
| Encyclia | encircling | Asparagales | Ba | ||
| Enkianthus | pregnant flower (the first-named species of this genus has petal-like bracts surrounding the flowers) | Ericales | CS | G | |
| Ensete | Amharic name | Zingiberales | Ba | G | |
| Entada | Malabar name | Fabales | St | G | |
| Entelea | complete (the fertile stamens) | Malvales | St | G | |
| Eomecon | Greek name | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Epacris | summit-dwelling | Ericales | St | G | |
| Ephedra | Greek and Latin name | Ephedrales | St | G | |
| Epidendrum | on trees | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Epigaea | on the earth (the branches) | Ericales | St | G | |
| Epilobium | on pods (the flowers) | Myrtales | CS | G | |
| Epimedium | Greek name | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Epipactis | Greek and Latin name | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Epiphyllum | on leaves (the leaf-like flower stalks) | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Epipremnum | (growing) on tree trunks | Alismatales | Ba | G | |
| Episcia | in the shade | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Epithelantha | nipple-borne flowers (on tubercles) | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Eragrostis | love grass (the heart-shaped spikelets) | Poales | CS | G | |
| Eranthemum | Greek name | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Eranthis | springtime flowers | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Erato | Erato, a Muse | Asterales | Bu | ||
| Eremaea | solitary (flowers) | Myrtales | St | ||
| Eremanthus | solitary flowers | Asterales | St | G | |
| Eremophila | desert-loving | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Eremurus | desert tail (the large flower spikes) | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Erepsia | roofed (the covered stamens) | Caryophyllales | St | ||
| Eria | wool (on the flowers) | Asparagales | St | ||
| Erica | Greek and Latin name | Ericales | CS | G | |
| Erigenia | springtime-born | Apiales | St | ||
| Erigeron | Greek and Latin name | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Erinacea | Latin: hedgehog | Fabales | Ba | G | |
| Erinus | Greek name | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Eriobotrya | woolly bunch (the inflorescences) | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Eriocephalus | woolly heads | Asterales | St | G | |
| Eriogonum | woolly nodes | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Eriope | Eriopis, a mythological woman | Lamiales | Bu | ||
| Eriophorum | wool-bearing (the fruiting heads) | Poales | CS | G | |
| Eriophyllum | woolly leaves | Asterales | St | G | |
| Eriopidion | woolly leaves | Lamiales | Bu | ||
| Eriopsis | Eria-like | Asparagales | St | ||
| Eriostemon | woolly stamens | Sapindales | St | G | |
| Eritrichium | woolly hairs | Boraginales | St | G | |
| Erlangea | University of Erlangen (now Erlangen–Nuremberg) | Asterales | St | G | |
| Erodium | heron (the long carpels or fruit) | Geraniales | CS | G | |
| Eruca | Latin name | Brassicales | CS | G | |
| Erycina | Erykine, an epithet of the goddess Venus | Asparagales | Bu | ||
| Eryngium | Greek name | Apiales | CS | G | |
| Erysimum | Greek name | Brassicales | CS | G | |
| Erythrina | red | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Erythronium | Greek name | Liliales | CS | G | |
| Erythroxylum | red wood. Previously Erythroxylon. | Malpighiales | St | G | |
| Eucalyptus | well-covered (the cap on the flower buds) | Myrtales | CS | G | |
| Eucharis | charming (the flowers) | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Eucnide | good nettle | Cornales | St | G | |
| Eucomis | good hair (the bracts above the inflorescences) | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Eucommia | good gum | Garryales | St | G | |
| Eucryphia | well-hidden (by its sepals) | Oxalidales | CS | G | |
| Eulophia | good crests (on the lips) | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Euodia | good fragrance | Sapindales | Ba | G | |
| Euonymus | Greek and Latin name | Celastrales | CS | G | |
| Eupatorium | Greek and Latin name | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Euphorbia | Greek and Latin name | Malpighiales | CS | G | |
| Euphrasia | delight | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Euphrosyne | Euphrosyne, a goddess | Asterales | Bu | ||
| Euptelea | good elm | Ranunculales | St | G | |
| Eurya | broad | Ericales | St | G | |
| Euryale | Euryale of mythology | Nymphaeales | St | G | |
| Eurybia | Eurybia, a goddess | Asterales | Bu | ||
| Euryops | large eye (the flower heads) | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Eustoma | idiom for a pretty face (the striking flowers) | Gentianales | St | G | |
| Eustrephus | well-entwined (the climbing vines) | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Eutaxia | modest or well-ordered | Fabales | St | ||
| Euterpe | Euterpe of mythology | Arecales | St | G | |
| Euthamia | well-crowded | Asterales | Ba | ||
| Eutrochium | well-wheeled | Asterales | Ba | ||
| Evolvulus | untwisted (the vines) | Solanales | St | G | |
| Exacum | Gallic and Latin name | Gentianales | St | G | |
| Exochorda | external chord (on the ovary wall) | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Fagopyrum | beech wheat | Caryophyllales | CS | G | |
| Fagus | Latin name | Fagales | CS | G | |
| Farfugium | Latin name | Asterales | Ba | G | |
| Fascicularia | Latin: bundled | Poales | Ba | G | |
| Fatsia | derived from a Japanese name | Apiales | CS | G | |
| Faucaria | gullet | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Felicia | (unclear) | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Fenestraria | Latin: window (at the top of the leaves) | Caryophyllales | St | ||
| Ferocactus | Latin: fierce + cactus | Caryophyllales | CS | ||
| Feroniella | little Feronia | Sapindales | St | ||
| Ferula | Latin name | Apiales | CS | G | |
| Festuca | Latin: straw or grass stalk | Poales | CS | G | |
| Ficaria | Ficus-like | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Ficus | Latin name | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Filago | Medieval Latin name | Asterales | St | G | |
| Filipendula | Latin: thread-hanging (the tubers) | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Foeniculum | Latin name | Apiales | CS | G | |
| Fokienia | Fujian, a province of China | Pinales | Ba | G | |
| Fragaria | from Latin: fraga (strawberry) | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Frangula | Latin: brittle. Medieval Latin name. | Rosales | Ba | G | |
| Fraxinus | Latin name | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Freya | Freyja, a goddess | Asterales | Bu | ||
| Fritillaria | Latin: dice box (the checkered flowers) | Liliales | CS | G | |
| Fumaria | Medieval Latin name | Ranunculales | St | G | |
| Gaiadendron | Gaia (a goddess) + tree | Santalales | Bu | ||
| Galactites | milky (the veins) | Asterales | St | G | |
| Galanthus | milky flowers | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Galax | milk (the flowers) | Ericales | CS | G | |
| Galeandra | helmet (-capped) stamens | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Galega | derived from gala, milk; named gallica herba in Latin | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Galeopsis | Latin name | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Galium | Greek name | Gentianales | CS | G | |
| Gasteria | belly (the swollen flower base) | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Gastrochilus | belly (swollen) lip | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Geissorhiza | tiled roots | Asparagales | Ba | G | |
| Geitonoplesium | near-neighbour | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Gelsemium | Italian name | Gentianales | CS | G | |
| Genipa | Guyanese name | Gentianales | St | G | |
| Genista | Latin name | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Geogenanthus | ground-birth (low-growing) flowers | Commelinales | St | G | |
| Geonoma | colonist | Arecales | St | G | |
| Geranium | crane (the fruit). Greek and Latin name. | Geraniales | CS | G | |
| Geum | Latin name | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Gevuina | Chilean name | Proteales | St | G | |
| Gibbaeum | Latin: humped | Caryophyllales | Ba | G | |
| Ginkgo | Chinese and Japanese name | Ginkgoales | CS | G | |
| Gladiolus | little sword (the leaves) | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Glandora | glandular Lithodora | Boraginales | Ba | ||
| Glaucidium | Glaucium-like | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Glaucium | greyish-blue-green (the leaves) | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Glebionis | Latin: soil | Asterales | Ba | ||
| Glechoma | Greek name | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Gliricidia | Latin: dormouse-killing (derived from a Colombian name) | Fabales | St | G | |
| Globba | Indonesian name | Zingiberales | St | G | |
| Globularia | little globe (the flower heads) | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Gloriosa | Latin: glorious | Liliales | CS | G | |
| Glottiphyllum | tongue leaves | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Glumicalyx | glume + calyx | Lamiales | Ba | G | |
| Glyceria | sweet (the seeds) | Poales | CS | G | |
| Glycine | sweet | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Glycosmis | sweet scent | Sapindales | St | G | |
| Glycyrrhiza | sweet roots | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Glyptostrobus | carved (pitted) cones | Pinales | St | G | |
| Gnaphalium | Greek and Latin name | Asterales | St | G | |
| Gnidia | Knidos | Malvales | St | G | |
| Gomphocarpus | club-shaped fruit | Gentianales | Ba | G | |
| Gompholobium | peg-like pods | Fabales | St | G | |
| Gomphrena | from a Latin name | Caryophyllales | CS | G | |
| Goniolimon | angled Limonium | Caryophyllales | Ba | G | |
| Gossypium | Latin name, originally from Arabic | Malvales | St | G | |
| Grammatophyllum | marked leaves | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Graptopetalum | painted petals | Saxifragales | St | G | |
| Graptophyllum | painted leaves | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Gratiola | satisfying | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Gymnadenia | naked glands (the stamens) | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Gymnocalycium | naked (flower) buds | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Gymnocladus | naked branches | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Gynerium | female wool (the woolly spikelets on the female plants) | Poales | St | G | |
| Gynura | female tail (the long stigmas) | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Gypsophila | gypsum-loving | Caryophyllales | CS | G | |
| Habenaria | rein (the spurs and lips) | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Habranthus | graceful flowers | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Haemanthus | blood flowers | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Haematoxylum | blood wood (yielding a red dye) | Fabales | St | G | |
| Hakonechloa | Mount Hakone (Japan) grass | Poales | Ba | G | |
| Halimium | seaside | Malvales | CS | G | |
| Halimodendron | (salt-tolerant) seaside tree | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Hamadryas | dryads (tree nymphs) | Ranunculales | Bu | G | |
| Hamamelis | Greek name | Saxifragales | CS | G | |
| Haplopappus | single pappus | Asterales | St | G | |
| Harpephyllum | sickle leaves | Sapindales | St | G | |
| Hebanthe | pubescent flower | Caryophyllales | Bu | ||
| Hedeoma | from a Greek name | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Hedera | Latin name | Apiales | CS | G | |
| Hedychium | sweet snow (the scented white flowers) | Zingiberales | CS | G | |
| Hedyotis | sweet ear | Gentianales | St | G | |
| Hedysarum | Greek name | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Hedyscepe | sweet covering (the flowers) | Arecales | St | G | |
| Helenium | Greek and Latin name | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Heliamphora | marsh jar (a pitcher plant) | Ericales | St | G | |
| Helianthella | little Helianthus | Asterales | St | G | |
| Helianthemum | sunny flowers (the habitat) | Malvales | CS | G | |
| Helianthus | sunflowers (the appearance) | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Helichrysum | sun of gold (the flowers) | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Helicodiceros | two spiral horns (at the base of the leaves) | Alismatales | St | G | |
| Heliconia | Latin name, from Mount Helicon | Zingiberales | St | G | |
| Helictotrichon | twisted hair | Poales | Ba | G | |
| Heliophila | sun-loving | Brassicales | St | G | |
| Heliopsis | sun-like (the flowers) | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Heliotropium | sun-facing | Boraginales | CS | G | |
| Helleborus | Greek name | Ranunculales | CS | G | |
| Hellenocarum | "Greek" + Carum | Apiales | Bu | ||
| Helonias | marsh | Liliales | St | G | |
| Heloniopsis | Helonias-like | Liliales | St | G | |
| Hemerocallis | one-day beauty (the ephemeral flowers). Greek and Latin name. | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Hemiandra | half male-part (the reduced stamens) | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Hemigraphis | half-brush (the hairy filaments) | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Hemiptelea | half elm (the half-winged fruit) | Rosales | St | G | |
| Hepatica | liver (the leaves) | Ranunculales | St | G | |
| Heptacodium | seven-headed (poppy) | Dipsacales | Ba | G | |
| Heracleum | Heracles of mythology | Apiales | CS | G | |
| Herniaria | (a remedy for) hernia | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Herpolirion | creeping lily | Asparagales | Ba | G | |
| Hesperaloe | western Aloe | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Hesperantha | evening flowers | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Hesperis | evening (when the flower scent is strongest) | Brassicales | CS | G | |
| Hesperocallis | western beauty | Asparagales | Ba | G | |
| Heteranthera | diverse anthers (one is larger than the others) | Commelinales | St | G | |
| Heterocentron | diverse spurs | Myrtales | St | G | |
| Heteromeles | diverse apples | Rosales | St | G | |
| Heterospathe | diverse spathes | Arecales | St | G | |
| Heterotheca | different (seed) boxes | Asterales | Ba | G | |
| Hevea | Guyanan name | Malpighiales | St | G | |
| Hibiscus | Greek and Latin name | Malvales | CS | G | |
| Hieracium | Greek name | Asterales | St | G | |
| Hierochloe | sacred grass (for its use in ceremonies) | Poales | CS | G | |
| Himalayacalamus | Himalayan reed | Poales | Ba | G | |
| Hippeastrum | horse or rider star (the flowers) | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Hippobroma | horse-rage (it is poisonous) | Asterales | St | G | |
| Hippocrepis | horse shoe (the seed pods) | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Hippophae | Greek name | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Hippuris | horse tail | Lamiales | Ba | G | |
| Hoheria | Maori name | Malvales | CS | G | |
| Holcus | Greek and Latin name | Poales | CS | G | |
| Holodiscus | undivided disk (the flowers) | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Homalanthus | flat flowers | Malpighiales | St | G | |
| Homalomena | flat moon; mistranslation of a Malayan name | Alismatales | St | ||
| Hordeum | Latin name | Poales | CS | G | |
| Horminum | Greek and Latin name | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Howea | Lord Howe Island (the habitat) | Arecales | St | G | |
| Humulus | German name | Rosales | CS | G | |
| Hura | South American name | Malpighiales | St | G | |
| Hyacinthella | Hyacinth, a mythological hero | Asparagales | Bu | G | |
| Hyacinthoides | Hyacinthus-like | Asparagales | Bu | G | |
| Hyacinthus | Hyacinth of mythology. Greek and Latin name. | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Hydrangea | water container (the cup-shaped capsules) | Cornales | CS | G | |
| Hydrastis | water, by analogy with Hydrophyllum | Ranunculales | St | G | |
| Hydriastele | water column (tree) | Arecales | St | G | |
| Hydrilla | little water serpent, possibly | Alismatales | St | G | |
| Hydrocharis | water grace | Alismatales | St | G | |
| Hydrocleys | water key | Alismatales | CS | G | |
| Hydrocotyle | water + shallow cup (the leaves) | Apiales | St | G | |
| Hydrolea | water olive (the leaves) | Solanales | St | G | |
| Hydrophyllum | watery leaves | Poales | St | G | |
| Hygrophila | moisture-loving | Lamiales | Ba | G | |
| Hylocereus | grove cactus | Caryophyllales | St | G | |
| Hylomecon | grove poppy | Ranunculales | St | G | |
| Hylotelephium | forest Telephium | Saxifragales | Ba | ||
| Hymenaea | Hymen of mythology | Fabales | St | G | |
| Hymenocallis | membrane beauty (on the stamens) | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Hymenosporum | membranous seeds | Apiales | St | G | |
| Hymenoxys | membrane points | Asterales | Ba | G | |
| Hyophorbe | pig food | Arecales | St | G | |
| Hyoscyamus | pig (poor) bean | Solanales | St | G | |
| Hypericum | Greek and Latin name | Malpighiales | CS | G | |
| Hyphaene | meshing (the fruit fibres) | Arecales | St | G | |
| Hypocalymma | below a veil (of sepals) | Myrtales | St | G | |
| Hypochaeris | Greek and Latin name. Previously Hypochoeris. | Asterales | St | G | |
| Hypoestes | undercover | Lamiales | Ba | G | |
| Hypoxis | Greek name | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Hyssopus | Greek and Latin name | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Iberis | Greek name | Brassicales | CS | G | |
| Ibicella | little ibex | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Ichtyoselmis | fish + fishing line (the flowers) | Ranunculales | Ba | ||
| Ilex | Latin name | Aquifoliales | CS | G | |
| Illicium | Latin: enticement | Austrobaileyales | CS | G | |
| Impatiens | Latin: impatient (the forcefully ejected fruit) | Ericales | CS | G | |
| Indigofera | indigo-bearing | Fabales | CS | G | |
| Indocalamus | Latin: East Indies + Greek: reed | Poales | Ba | G | |
| Inga | Tupi–Guarani name | Fabales | St | G | |
| Inula | Latin name | Asterales | CS | G | |
| Io | Io, a mythological princess | Asterales | Bu | ||
| Iochroma | violet colour | Solanales | St | G | |
| Iogeton | Io, a mythological princess, or rusty, or violet | Asterales | Bu | ||
| Ionopsidium | violet-like | Brassicales | St | G | |
| Ionopsis | Io, a mythological princess, or violet-appearing | Asparagales | Bu | G | |
| Ipheion | derived from a Greek name | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Iphigenia | Iphigenia, a mythological princess | Liliales | Bu | G | |
| Ipomoea | worm-like (the vines) | Solanales | CS | G | |
| Ipomopsis | Ipomoea-like | Ericales | Ba | G | |
| Irenepharsus | Eirene (a goddess) + division | Brassicales | Bu | ||
| Iresine | woolly branches, possibly | Caryophyllales | CS | G | |
| Iris | rainbow (the flowers) | Asparagales | CS | G | |
| Isatis | Greek name | Brassicales | CS | G | |
| Ismene | Ismene, a mythological princess | Asparagales | Bu | G | |
| Isolepis | equal scales | Poales | Ba | G | |
| Isopogon | evenly bearded (the fruit) | Proteales | St | G | |
| Isopyrum | Greek and Latin name | Ranunculales | St | G | |
| Isotoma | equal sections (in the flowers) | Asterales | St | G | |
| Itea | Greek name | Saxifragales | CS | G | |
| Ixia | Greek and Latin name | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Ixiolirion | Ixia + lily | Asparagales | St | G | |
| Ixora | derived from Sanskrit | Gentianales | St | G | |
| Jaborosa | Arabic name | Solanales | Ba | G | |
| Jacaranda | Brazilian name | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Jacmaia | anagram of Jamaica | Asterales | Bu | G | |
| Janusia | Janus, a god | Malpighiales | Bu | ||
| Jasione | Greek name | Asterales | St | G | |
| Jasminum | Persian name | Lamiales | CS | G | |
| Jatropha | doctor food (it is a purgative) | Malpighiales | St | G | |
| Juania | Juan Fernández Islands in the Valparaíso Region of Chile | Arecales | Bu | G | |
| Juglans | Latin name | Fagales | CS | G | |
| Juncus | binding. Latin name. | Poales | CS | G | |
| Juniperus | Latin name | Pinales | CS | G | |
| Kadsura | Japanese name | Austrobaileyales | St | G | |
| Kalanchoe | derived from a Chinese name | Saxifragales | CS | G | |
| Kalopanax | attractive Panax | Apiales | CS | G | |
| Kigelia | Mozambique name | Lamiales | St | G | |
| Kirengeshoma | Japanese name | Cornales | CS | G | |