'Polycarpon' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'πολύκαρπον', where 'poly-' meant 'many' and 'karpos' meant 'fruit or seed'.

'πολύκαρπον' was adopted into Latin as 'Polycarpon', and eventually became the modern scientific name for the genus.

Initially, it referred to plants with many seeds or fruits, and this meaning has remained consistent in modern taxonomy.