Mar 24 2020
Like many of you, NYBG herbarium staff are currently working from home to help blunt the spread of COVID-19. But we’re still working to highlight Earth’s amazing biodiversity—from far-off locations to plants that grow right outside your window. Browse these plants that have “home” right in their scientific name, from the comfort of your own home!
Species names of plants and animals are derived from Latin. In Latin, the word domum means house, and it is the root of the English word domestic (domesticis). Although typically used to relate to animals that humans have tamed and raise, domestic simply means anything related to the home. Species with “domestica” as a specific epithet may have been formally domesticated, in the strict sense, or they may be used for food, fiber, or medicine. The Modern English word “home” is derived from Old English hām, of Germanic origin, and is related to Dutch heem and German heim. Because Modern English is a hybrid language of Germanic and Romance origins, English speakers use words from both language families for different situations.