| Name |
Pronunciation |
Meaning |
| Lawsonia | law-SOH-nee-uh | Named for Isaac Lawson, 18th century Scottish army doctor; friend and patron of Linneaus |
| Ledodendron | lee-doh-DEN-dron | Combination of Rhododendron (Greek for rose-tree) and Ledum (Greek ledon, Cistus); the plants are closely related |
| Ledum | LEE-dum | From the Greek ledon (Cistus) |
| Leea | LEE-uh | Named for James Lee, 18th century English nurseryman |
| Legousia | le-GOO-see-uh | Unknown derivation |
| Leiophyllum | lay-oh-FIL-lum | From the Greek leios (smooth) and phyllon (leaf); referring to its glossy leaves |
| Leitneria | layt-NER-ee-uh | Named for Edward F. Leitner, 19th century German physician and naturalist in Florida (U.S.) |
| Leschenaultia | lay-shen-NAWL-tee-uh | Named for Louis Theodore Leschenault de la Tour, 19th century French botanist and traveller |
| Leucadendron | lew-kuh-DEN-dron | From the Greek leukos (white) and dendron (tree); for the white foliage |
| Leucanthemella | lew-kanth-eh-MEL-uh | Diminutive form of the genus Leucanthemum (which means white flower) |
| Leucanthemopsis | lew-kanth-eh-MOP-sis | Resembling Leucanthemum (white flower) |
| Leuchtenbergia | 1: lewk-ten-BER-gee-uh
2: lewk-ten-BER-jee-uh | Named for 19th century Prince Maximillian Eugène de Beauharnais, who was then Duke of Leuchtenberg, Ober-Pfalz (Germany) |
| Leucocoryne | lew-koh-KOR-ry-nee | From the Greek leukos (white) and koryne (club); referring to the white staminodes |
| Odontioda | oh-don-tee-OH-duh | Combination of Odontoglossum (toothed-tongue) and Cochlioda (like a snail shell) |
| Odontocidium | oh-don-to-on-SID-ee-um | Combination of Odontoglossum (toothed-tongue) and Oncidium (from the Greek word for tumor) |
| Odontonia | oh-don-TOH-nee-uh | Combination of Odontoglossum (toothed-tongue) and Miltonia (named for Viscount Milton) |
| Mackaya | MAK-kay-uh | Named for James Townsend Mackay, 19th century Scottish botanist and gardener |
| Macleania | mak-LAY-nee-uh | Named for John Maclean, 19th century Scottish merchant who exported plants from Lima, Peru |
| Macrozamia | mak-roh-ZAM-ee-uh | From the Greek makros (large) and Zamia (a genus name meaning pinecones or the name of a native water spirit) |
| Malpighia | 1: mal-PEE-gee-uh
2: mal-PIG-ee-uh | Named for Marcello Malpighi, 17th century Italian professor and anatomist |
| Maranta | muh-RAN-tuh | Named for Bartolommeo Maranti, a 16th century Venetian botanist |
| Margyricarpus | mar-gy-ree-KAR-pus | From the Greek margarites (pearl) and karpos (fruit); for the white berries |
| Masdevallia | maz-de-VAL-lee-uh | Named for José Masdevall, an 18th century Spanish botanist and physician |
| Maytenus | MY-ten-us | Latinized form of the Chilean vernacular name (maiten) |
| Medinilla | 1: med-in-NIL-uh
2: med-in-NEE-yuh | Named for José de Medinilla of Pineda, (Governor of the Marianna Islands) |
| Melasphaerula | mel-uh-SFAY-roo-luh | From the Greek melas (black) and sphaerula (a small ball); for the small black bulbs |
| Melastoma | mel-LAS-toh-muh | From the Greek melas (black) and stoma (mouth); the berries stain one's mouth black |
| Melicytus | mel-ee-SY-tus | From the Greek meli (honey) and kytos (hollow container); refers to the staminal nectaries of the flowers |
| Meliosma | mel-ee-OS-muh | From the Greek meli (honey) and osma (fragrance); the flowers smell like honey |
| Melocactus | mel-oh-KAK-tus | From the Greek melo (apple-shaped melon) and cactus; refers to the shape of these cacti |
| Menziesia | menz-ESS-ee-uh | Named for Archibald Menzies, 19th century Scottish botanist |
| Merendera | mer-en-DAY-ruh | From the Latin merenda (midday meal), referring to the flowering time serving to warn shepherds to head home in autumn |
| Libertia | lih-BER-tee-uh | Named for Marie Augustine Libert, 19th century Belgian botanist |
| Libocedrus | ly-boh-SED-rus | From the Greek libos (tear or drop) and cedrus (cedar); refers to the resin that exudes from this plant |
| Licuala | lik-oo-AH-lah | Latinized form of the native Moluccan name for this plant |
| Limnocharis | 1: lim-NO-kair-iss
2: lim-NOK-ar-iss | From the Greek limne (marsh) and chyris (beauty); refers to the habitat |
| Linanthus | ly-NAN-thus | From the Greek linon (flax) and anthos (flower) |
| Lindelofia | lin-del-LOH-fee-uh | Named for Friedrich von Lindelof, a 19th century patron of botany |
| Linnaea | LIN-ee-uh | Variant of Linnea; named for Carl von Linné, 18th century Swedish botanist often referred to as the Father of Taxonomy |
| Lithophragma | lith-oh-FRAG-muh | From the Greek lithos (stone) and phragma (fence) |
| Livistona | liv-iss-TOH-nuh | Named for Patrick Murray, 17th century Baron of Livingston whose plants became the foundation of the Edinburgh Botanic Garden |
| Lloydia | LOYD-ee-uh | Named for Edward Lloyd, 17th century Welsh antiquary and botanist |
| Loasa | LOH-suh | Derivation is obscure |
| Lodoicea | 1: lo-DOY-see-uh
2: lo-do-IS-ee-uh | From Lodoicus, the Latinized form of Louis; in honor of 18th century King Louis XV of France |
| Loiseleuria | loy-sel-LEW-ree-uh | named for Jean Louis August Loiseleur-Deslongchamps, 19th century French botanist and physician |
| Lomatia | 1: lo-MAY-shee-uh
2: lo-MAY-tee-uh | From the Greek loma (border) and refers to the winged edge of the seeds |
| Luculia | lew-KEW-lee-uh | Latinized form of the Nepalese vernacular name "lukuli swa" |
| Luzula | LEW-zuh-luh | Latinized form of the Italian vernacular name (lucciola) for this plant |
| Lycium | LY-see-um | From the Greek name of a medicinal tree from Lycia (Asia Minor) |
| Lygodium | ly-GO-dee-um | From the Greek lygodes (like a willow) and refers to its twisting shoots |
| Lyonia | ly-OH-nee-uh | Named for John Lyon, 19th century Scottish gardener and botanist |
| Lyonothamnus | ly-on-oh-THAM-nus | Shrub named for William Scrugham Lyon, 19th century American plant collector |
| Lysichiton | ly-sih-KY-ton | From the Greek lysis (loosening) and chiton (cloak); as the fruit ripens the spathe is removed from the spadix |
| koreanus | kor-ee-AH-nus | Of or from Korea |
| leiophylla | lay-oh-FIL-luh | From the Greek leios (smooth) and phyllon (leaf); referring to its glossy leaves |
| leiophyllus | lay-oh-FIL-lus | From the Greek leios (smooth) and phyllon (leaf); referring to its glossy leaves |
