Hoodia gordonii (Bushman's Hat) is a cactus-like succulent shrub with thick, cylindrical stems with prominent tubercles fused in the lower …
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Epithet: gordonii
Derivation: Honors Robert Jacob Gordon (1743-1795), a Dutch explorer, soldier, artist, naturalist and linguist of Scottish descent. He observed a Hoodia species in 1779 and made a drawing of the plant, which was described and published by Francis Masson in 1797 as Stapelia gordonii.
Pronunciation: gor-DOH-nee-eye
While the generic name must be unique, two or more genera often share the same specific epithet. Moreover, the same epithet can be used for subspecies, varieties, and forms within a species. Here is a list of plants that share this epithet.