Pronunciation of Scientific Names
They tell us that Latin is a dead language, and so it is. No one knows how it sounded in ancient Rome. But we’d have a hard time understanding one another if we each made up our own pronunciations, so guidelines have evolved.
After hearing it spoken, you start to pick up on a cadence or rhythm, and when you say a name out loud, it’s easier to remember — so we are grateful to these people for demonstrating the pronunciation of scientific names.
To hear them, click the buttons 
beside Latin names throughout the website. If you don't see any buttons, click here.
- Wayne Bateman, Scotts Lawn Service
- Christi Bruner, Carolina Wild Native Plant Nursery
- Beth Flokstra, Garden Genesis
- Jan Haldeman, Erskine College
- Margie Hunter, Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee
- Charles Horn, Newberry College
- Ron Lance, Balsam Mountain Preserve
- Tim Lee, South Carolina Parks Service
- John Manion, Curator of the Kaul Wildflower Garden, Birmingham Botanical Gardens
- Larry Mellichamp, University of North Carolina / UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens
- John Nelson, University of South Carolina / A.C. Moore Herbarium
- Joseph Pollard, Furman University
- Doug Rayner, Wofford College
- Emily B. Sessa, University of Wisconsin-Madison Ph.D. Dissertator
- Bill Stringer, Clemson University
- Lisa Wagner, South Carolina Botanical Garden
- David Zaparanick, City of Atlanta
To read more about the pronunciation of scientific names (including some of the various schools of thought), turn to page xxxvii of A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina, and check out the links below:
California Plant Names:
Latin and Greek Meanings and Derivations — A Dictionary of Botanical Etymology
http://www.calflora.net/botanicalnames/
Southern California Wildflowers — Guide to the Pronunciation of Plant Names
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/pronunciationguide.html
Pronunciation of Vascular Plant Genera & Families of New England
http://www.ray-a.com/BotPron/