A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

echin-, echino-: in Gk. comp. prickly, spiny ... [> Gk. echinos (s.m.II), “the urchin, hedgehog; the sea-urchin; the shell of the sea-urchin, often used as a cup, hence Lat. echinus,-i (s.m.II), a pot, jug, pitcher” (Liddell & Scott); > L. echinus,-i (s.m.II), same as Gk. echinos];

NOTE: echinus may refer to either the mammal (hedgehog) or the echinoderm (sea-urchin); see echinus,-i (s.m.II).

- echinocarpus, with prickly fruit; echinosepalus, with prickly sepals; echinospermus, with spiny seeds.

Echinacea,-ae (s.f.I), > Gk. echinos, a hedgehog: “from the sharp-pointed pales” (Fernald 1950); “in allusion to the prickly scales of the receptacle. Compositae (Stearn 1996).

Echinocactus,-i (s.m.II) > Gk. echinos, a hedgehog (= Erinaceus europaeus); “from being like hedgehogs in appearance. Cactaceae” (Stearn 1996).

Echinocereus,-i (s.m.II) > Gk. echinos, a hedgehog. “The spiny fruit differentiates this genus from Cereus. Cactaceae” (Stearn 1996).

Echinochloa,-ae (s.f.I), > Gk. echinos, sea-urchin, + chloa, grass, “in allusion to the bristling awns” (Fernald 1950); > Gk. echinos, a hedgehog + chloE, grass. Gramineae” (Stearn 1996).

Echinocystis,-is (s.f.III) > Gk. echinos, a hedgehog, + cystis, a bladder “from the prickly fruit” (Fernald 1950).

Echinodorus,-i (s.m.II), > Gk. echinus, rough husk + doros, a leathern bottle “applied to the ovary, which is in most species armed with the persistent style, forming a sort of prickly head of fruit” (Fernald (1950); “referring to the spiny achenes” (Stearn 1996).

Echinopanax,-acis (s.m.III), a very prickly shrub, > Gk. echinos, a hedgehog + Panax, q.v., the generic name for American ginseng. “The stems are densely covered with spines. Araliaceae” (Stearn 1996).

Echinops, Globe-thistle, > Gk. echinos, hedgehog + ops, appearance, “from the bristly nature of the armed foliage or perhaps of the spreading individual involucres in the dense spherical glomerules” (Fernald 1950).

Echinopsis (s.f.III), Sea-urchin Cactus > Gk. echinos, a sea-urchin (also hedgehog) + opsis, resemblance; “from the resemblance of these round, spiny cacti to a sea-urchin. Cactaceae” (Stearn 1996).

Echinopteris,-idis (s.f.III); Malpighiaceae] Cocci lappulaceo-echinati (B&H), the cocci [i.e. berries] bur-like-echinaceous; Fructus 3-coccus, coccis indehiscentibus, dorso pluriseriatim lappulaceo-echinatis (B&H), fruit 3-berried, with the berries indehiscent, lappulaceous-echinate in many rows on the back.