Les plantes et leurs noms. Etymologies insolites.2e éd. augmentée. 2025. 228 p. gr8vo. Paper bd.- In French.

Knowing how to name things is essential, particularly in the case of plants whose etymology often reveals something of their history and the uses to which they are put. Take, for example, daisies, whose flowers bloom as Easter approaches; hogweed, whose ‘shaggy’ appearance brings to mind a bear (Bär, in German); or that of belladonna, of Italian origin, used to brighten the eyes of beautiful women (bella donna), or even the swollen calyx of the alkanet, which earns it the name ‘love in a cage’. The origins of the common and botanical names of the most common plants in our regions - wild and ornamental plants, vegetables, herbs, fruits and other plants with various uses - are thus explained. The names of the genera are documented, as are those of the main species.

You need not be a botanist or specialist to appreciate the etymology of plants revealed here. All you need is an interest in the plant world, the ability to name a plant, and a desire to understand its origin.

This expanded 2nd edition includes around forty new plants.