Lonicera
|lo-ni-ce-ra|
🇺🇸
/ˌloʊnɪˈsɪərə/
🇬🇧
/ˌlɒnɪˈsɪərə/
honeysuckle genus
Etymology
'Lonicera' originates from Neo-Latin, specifically the name 'Lonicer' (Latinized as 'Lonicerus'), where 'Lonicer' is the surname of the 16th-century German botanist Adam Lonicer.
'Lonicera' changed from the Latinized surname 'Lonicerus' and was adopted by botanists (notably Linnaeus and later taxonomists) as the genus name 'Lonicera'.
Initially, the term referred to the personal name honoring Lonicer; over time it evolved into the botanical genus name meaning 'the honeysuckles (plants of the genus Lonicera)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a genus of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, commonly called honeysuckles; includes shrubs and climbing vines such as Lonicera japonica.
Lonicera japonica is widely cultivated but can become invasive outside its native range.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/11 22:49