Sativum Explained

Sativa, sativus, and sativum are Latin botanical adjectives meaning cultivated. It is often associated botanically with plants that promote good health and used to designate certain seed-grown domestic crops.^[1]

Usage

Sativa (ending in -a) is the feminine form of the adjective, but masculine (-us) and neuter (-um) endings are also used to agree with the gender of the nouns they modify; for example, the masculine Crocus sativus and neuter Pisum sativum.

List of plant names containing sativum

Examples of crops incorporating this word and its variations into their Latin name include:

• Allium sativum, garlic.
• Avena sativa, the common oat.
• Cannabis sativa, one of three forms of cannabis.^[2]
• Castanea sativa, sweet chestnut.
• Coriandrum sativum, coriander, also known as cilantro, an annual herb.
• Crocus sativus, the saffron crocus.
• Cucumis sativus, the cucumber.
• Daucus carota subsp. sativus, the carrot, a plant species.
• Eruca sativa, the rocket or arugula, a leaf vegetable.
• Hordeum sativum, barley.
• Lactuca sativa, lettuce.
• Lepidium sativum, garden cress.
• Medicago sativa, alfalfa.
• Nigella sativa, a flower whose edible seeds are sometimes known as "black cumin" or "black caraway".
• Oryza sativa, rice.
• Pastinaca sativa., parsnip, a root vegetable closely related to the carrot and parsley; all belong to the family Apiaceae.
• Pisum sativum, pea plant.
• Ribes sativum, the whitecurrant

See also

• List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names

References

1. Allen J. Coombes
2. The major species of Cannabis are sativa, indica, and ruderalis. Resin . Harry . 9 May 2014 . 5 Differences Between Sativa and Indica . . 15 July 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150716182947/http://www.hightimes.com/read/5-differences-between-sativa-and-indica . 16 July 2015.