Turbinicarpus meaning

A place to post thoughts, errors, praise, or other comments about CactiGuide.com
Post Reply
Armen Tsirunyan
Posts: 151
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2015 2:01 pm
Location: Armenia
Contact:

Turbinicarpus meaning

Post by Armen Tsirunyan »

Hi all,

I stumbled upon the following explanation of the name Turbinicarpus here on Cactiguide (http://cactiguide.com/cactus/?genus=Turbinicarpus).
From the Latin turbinatus meaning top-shaped and the Greek carpos meaning body - a reference to the top-shaped growth of the stems.
I think there's an error in this description, and "carpos" does *not* mean body, but means "fruit". So it's top-shaped fruit rather than top-shaped body. Am I wrong?
DaveW
Posts: 7376
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Turbinicarpus meaning

Post by DaveW »

No you are correct Armen, carpos means fruit, as in Ariocarpus:-

"Ariocarpus" is derived from the Greek Aria meaning "Sorb" (Sorbus aria – Rosaceae - is the white-beam tree) and the Greek word karpos meaning "fruit". The Genus name implies: "fruit similar in appearance to that of the white-beam"

Also Yavia cryptocarpa means "hidden fruit"

"crypto- before vowels crypt-, word-forming element meaning "secret" or "hidden"

http://lophophora.blogspot.co.uk/2009/0 ... tures.html
User avatar
Aiko
Posts: 2369
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:26 pm
Location: the Netherlands

Re: Turbinicarpus meaning

Post by Aiko »

In my book "What does that name mean?" (translated from Dutch), a Succulenta book aimed at Botanical names for succulents, it says it means it is shaped like a 'draaitol' in Dutch, shaped like a spinning top in English.
DaveW
Posts: 7376
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Turbinicarpus meaning

Post by DaveW »

Yes that refers to the fruit though (carpus) and not the plant as Armen pointed out.

As you say Aiko:-

"turbinate = top shaped; inversely conic."

Presumably it would have been "Turbiniformis" if it referred to the plant.
User avatar
Aiko
Posts: 2369
Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 5:26 pm
Location: the Netherlands

Re: Turbinicarpus meaning

Post by Aiko »

The explanation does not define it being the fruit or the plant body. But likely indeed it would refer to the fruit. But looking at the fruits I guess that name would be applicable to more succulents...
User avatar
DesertSun
Posts: 322
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2018 5:33 pm
Location: Zone 9b

Re: Turbinicarpus meaning

Post by DesertSun »

I am greek, so, yes, carpus in the botanical name refers to the fruit. Exactly as DaveW explained, the greek word for fruit is Karpos.
"The best fertilizer is the gardener's own shadow"
Chinese proverb
DaveW
Posts: 7376
Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:36 pm
Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Turbinicarpus meaning

Post by DaveW »

Yes Botanical Latin is actually a mixture of Greek and Latin terms, some of which the Roman's adopted.

See:-

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=41973
Post Reply