P

pachy-: thick (_Pachyrhizus_ = "thick root" / "pachyphyllum" = "thick-leaved" / _Pachypodium_ = "thick + foot") palle- / palli-....pale ("pallidus" / "pallidiflora" = "pale flower") ("pallescens")
palm-: referring to a hand, a palm (usually leaf-shape) ("palmata")
palustr-: referring to a swamp, marsh ("palustris")
-panax: referring to a plant in the Aralia family, usually the genus _Panax_, which includes the Ginseng plant; "panax" comes from two Gr. words which mean "all- "afflictions," and the sense was (at least for Karl Linnaeus) that "ginseng" heals these diseases; (_Oreopanax_ = "mountain panax")
pandur-: referring to a fiddle (shape) ("pandurata" / "panduriforme" = "fiddle-form" / "pandurifolia" = "fiddle-shaped leaves")
panicul-: referring to a panicle ("paniculatus")
pannos-: ragged, hairy ("pannosa")
papaver-: referring to the poppy ("papaveracea")
papyr-: referring to paper (_Papyrus_) ("papyrifera" "paper -bearing")
papil-: referring to a butterfly ("papilionaceus" = "like the pea-family" whose individual flowers are somewhat similar in form to a butterfly)
papill-: referring to nipples ("papillosus")
paradis-: referring to gardens, paradise, parks ("paradisiaca")
paradox-: unusual, strange, anomalous ("paradoxus")
pard-: referring to a leopard (spotted) ("pardalinus")
part-: referring to parts or a part ("partitus")
parthen-: referring to a virgin, i.e., asexual reproduction (_Parthenocissus_ = "virgin's vine")
parv-: small ("parviflora" = "small-flowered")
patagon-: referring to Argentina ("patagoniensis")
patell-: referring to a disk ("patellaris")
patens: spreading
patul-: spreading ("patulus")
pauci-: few ("pauciflora" = "few-flowered")
pavon-: referring to a peacock ("pavonicus")
pectin: referring to a comb, having teeth, finely-divided ("pectinifera" ="comb-bearing") ("pectinatus")
pector-: referring to the breastbone (shape) ("pectoralis")
ped-: referring to a foot (shape), or, by extension, a basal structure ("pedicillatus" = "having a stalk") often also mean palmate, which word, itself, refers not to a foot but to a hand, as in a palmate leaf; (_Pedilanthus_ = "foot (shoe) flower"), one common name is "Slipper Spurge" ("spurge" is a general common name applied to many plants in the Euphorbia Family) ("pedatum")
pedunc-: referring to a peduncle ("pedunculatus")
pelluc-: pellucid, having translucent dots/spots ("pellucidus")
pelt-: peltate, stalk attached to the center, as opp. to the margin, from the Gr. for a shield of some sort ("peltophorum" = "bearing a shield")
pelvi-: referring to the pelvis (shape) ("pelviformis")
pendul-: referring to an earring, hanging, drooping ("penduliflora" = "hanging flowers" / "pendula")
penn-: referring to a feather ("pennatus")
penta-: .referring to the number five ("pentanthus" = "five-flowered")
per- / peri-: surrounding ("perfoliata" = "leaf surrounding a stem")
peregrin-: foreign ("peregrina") perenn-............perennial ("perennis")
persic-: referring to Persia (Iran) ("persica") (_Lycopersicum_, -persic(...) the tomato, = "wolf-peach" probably because this fruit was originally believed to be deadly poisonous)
perspic-: transparent, clear ("perspicuus")
pertus: perforated ("pertusum")
-pes: referring to a foot or stalk("longipes" = "long-stalked")
petiol-: referring to a petiole, leaf stalk ("petiolatus" / "petiolaris")
petr-: .referring to rocks (_Petrocallis_ = "rock beauty") ("petraea")
phaedr-: splendid (_Phaedranthus_ = "splendid flower")
phalae-: referring to a moth (_Phalaenopsis_ = "moth-like")
phaner-: obvious, open ("phanerophlebia" = "conspicuously-veined")
phell-: referring to cork (_Phellodendron_ = "cork tree")
phil-: loving, desirous of (_Philodendron_ = "tree loving" because they often grow thereon)
-phil(...): loving, desirous of ("anemophilus" = "wind-loving")
-phleb(...): referring to veins
-phloe(...): referring to bark
phlog-: referring to a flame (_Phlogacanthus_ = "flame + thorn")
phoeni-: referring to the genus _Phoenix_ or the color purple - (_Phoenix_ is the date palm genus) ("phoenicolasius" = "purple hair")
pholid-: referring to a scale (_Pholidocarpus_ = "scaly fruit" - a genus of palms)
-phor(...): bearing, carrying ("cladophora" = "branch-bearing")
phora-: referring to a thief (_Phoradendron_ = "thief of a tree" - the mistletoe genus)
-phorb(...): referring to food or fruit (_Hyophorbe_ = "hog" + "food")
phot-: referring to light, shining (_Photinia_, because of the glossy foliage)
phragm-: referring to a wall or fence or hedge
phryg-: referring to Asia Minor, Phrygian
phyl-: referring to leaves
phys-: referring to a bladder (_Physalis_; _Physocarpus_ = "bladder fruit")
-phyt(...): referring to a plant ("calophytum" = "beautiful plant")
pict-: painted, variegated ("picta")
pil-: referring to a cap (_Pilocarpus_ = "cap-shaped fruit") ("pileata")
pili-: referring to hairs ("pilifera" = "hair-bearing")
pilos-: hairy ("pilosus")
pilul-: referring to a globule (_Pilularia_ = "a little ball")
pini-: referring to a pine tree ("pinicarpus" = "fruits like a pine cone")
pinn-: referring to a feather ("pinnata")
pipt-: falling, descending (_Pipturus_ = "descending tail")
pisc-.: referring to a fish (_Piscidia_ = "fish + kill" - the "Fish-Poison Tree" of tropical America)
pis-: referring to the genus _Pisa_, the Pea ("pisifera" = pea-bearing")
pit-: referring to pitch or resin (_Pittosporum_ = "resinous seed")
pithec-: referring to a monkey, an ape (_Pithecoctenium_ = "monkey's comb")
placat-: calm ("placatus")
plag-: referring to an oblique angle, sideways (_Plagianthus_ = "flowers at an angle")
plan-: flat ("planifolia" = "flat-leaved" / "planatus" / "planipes" = "flat + foot, i.e., stalk")
platan-: referring to a plantain, or the Plane Tree genus, _Platanus_ ("platanoides")
platy-: broad, flat (_Platycerium_ = "flat horn" - the stag-horn fern)
plect-: plaited (_Plectocomia_ = "plaited hair")
plectr-: referring to a spur (_Plectranthus" = "spurred flower")
plei-: many (_Pleiogynium_ = "many female parts")
plen-: full ("plenissimus"= "very full")
pleur-: referring to a side, or a cavity, or ribs (_Pleurospermum_ = "ribbed seed")
-plex: referring to trunks or stems ("multiplex" = "many-trunked")
plicat-: folded, pleated ("plicatus")
plum-: referring to a plume or feather ("plumosus")
plumb-: referring to lead (the metal) (_Plumbago_, referring to the color of the flowers of this genus)
pluri-: many ("plurifolia" = "many-leaved")
pluv-: referring to rain ("pluvialis")
pod-: referring to a stalk - or FOOT (_Podocarpus_ = "stalked fruit" / "podophyllus" = "stalked leaf")
pogo-: referring to a beard (_Pogostemon_ = "bearded stamen")
-pogon: referring to a beard (_Andropogon_ = "man/male + beard")
poli-: gray, white ("poliofolia" = "gray-leaved" / "polifolia")
polit-: polished ("polita")
poly-: many ("polyanthemos" = "many-flowered")
pom-: referring to an apple - any fruit similar in shape to an apple ("pomacea" / "pomifera" = "apple-bearing")
ponderos-: ponderous ("ponderosus")
popul-: referring to the poplar (shape) ("populifolia" = "poplar-leaved" / "populnea")
porc-: referring to a pig ("porcinus")
-potam(...): referring to a river ("megapotamicum" = "large river")
poten-: powerful (_Potentilla_ = diminutive of "potens," referring to the supposed medicinal properties of this the Cinquefoil genus))
praecox: premature, early
praest-: noble, distinguished ("praestans")
prasin-: referring to the color green ("prasinus")
praten-: referring to a meadow ("pratensis")
precator-: referring to prayer ("precatorius")
premn-: referring to a tree (_Epipremnum_ = "growing on trees"
prim-: prime, first (_Primula_, because of its early blooming in Spring)
primul-: referring to the genus _Primula_, the primrose ("primulaceus" / "primuloides" = "like _Primula")
princ-: princely, of first (prime) quality ("princeps")
probosc-: referring to a nose ("proboscidea")
procer-: tall ("procerum")
procumb-: lying down, procumbent, bending forwards ("procumbens")
procur-: extended ("procurrens")
propend-: hanging, drooping ("propendens")
propinqu-: near, related ("propinquus")
pruin-: having a bloom (referring to color and texture) ("pruinosa")
prun-: referring to a plum, usually to the color ("prunifolius" = "prune-leaved")
prur-: itch causing ("pruriens")
pseud-: false (_Pseudolarix_ = "false Larch")
psit-: referring to a parrot ("psittacinus")
pter-: referring to a wing (_Pterocarya_ = "winged nut"; and _Pteris_, a genus of ferns) ("pteranthus" = "winged flower") ALSO Gr. for a fern ("tetraptera" = "four-winged") (the fern appellation would seem to have come about via the resemblance of the feather part of a wing in close-up to a fern frond -- fascinating, no?)
ptych-: referring to a fold, a wrikle (_Ptychosperma_ = "folded seed")
pub-: referring to down (hairs) ("puberulatus" "pubigerus")
pudic-: shrinking, closing, modest (_Mimosa pudica_, so named because the pinnate leaves fold up the leaflets at night or when touched)
pulchel-: beautiful ("pulchellus")
pulchr-: beautiful ("pulchra")
pulver-: powdery ("pulverulenta")
pulvin-: referring to a cushion ("pulvinatus")
pumil-: small, dwarf ("pumila")
punctat-: dotted, spotted ("punctatus" / "punctatissima" = "very much dotted")
pung-: sharp, pointed, pungent, piercing ("pungens")
punic-: referring to Punica (Carthage/N.Afr.) _Punica_, the pomegranate, native to that area OR the color reddish-purple ("puniceus")
purpur-: referring to the color purple ("purpurea")
-pus: referring to a foot (or basal structure, like a stalk) ("leptopus" = "skinny-stalked" / "brachypus" = "short-stalked")
pusil-: insignificant, obscure, small, dwarf ("pusillus")
pycn-: thick, dense (_Pycnanthemum_ = "densely flowered") ("pycnostachya" = "dense + spike (flowers)")
pygm-: pygmy, small, dwarf ("pygmaea")
pyr-: referring to a pear, or actually any fruit - OR to FIRE ("pyriformis" = "formed like a pear") (_Pyracantha_ = "fire thorn")
pyren-: referring to grain (_Pyrenacantha_ = "grain + thorn")) HOWEVER, "pyrenaicus" refers to the Pyrenees Mts. of France!

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