Browsing: melanacantha

< Back to Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names

Epithet: melanacantha
Meaning: Having black spines
Derivation: Compound epithet made up of two Ancient Greek words, the adjective "mélās," meaning "dark in color; sometimes so dark as to lack color, black," and the noun "ákantha," meaning "thorny plant; thorn, spine, prickle."
Pronunciation: mel-an-uh-KAN-tha

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.