The Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.)
a Texas Agricultural Experiment Station Site
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Crape myrtle names |
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Regarding the scientific name for crape myrtle, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) described and named Lagerstroemia indica in 1759 after his friend Magnus von Lagerstroem (1696-1759), an avid naturalist and Director of the Swedish East Indies Company. Curiously, the species name indica is a misnomer, as this species in particular is actually native to China, and not India. The common American name, crape myrtle, also referred to or spelled as ‘crapemyrtle’, ‘crape-myrtle’, ‘crepe-myrtle’ or ‘crapemyrtle’, is likely derived from the resemblance of its often ruffled flower petals to crepe paper, as well as the similarity of its leaves to those found in the true myrtle (Myrtus communis). While the genus name Lagerstroemia is also used as the common name in many countries, a myriad of other local names are also employed when referring to this plant(s). Several of these common names are listed in Table 1. |
Table 1. Common names for Lagerstroemia
across the World.
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Common Name |
Country |
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Common Name |
Country |
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Árbol
de Júpiter |
Spain |
|
Kâ
ka lao (L. speciosa) |
Laos |
|
Astromelia |
Colombia |
|
Khêo
nua (L. anisoptera) |
Laos |
|
Astrominica |
Costa
Rica |
|
Kreppmyrte |
Netherlands |
|
Banaba
(L. speciosa) |
Philippines |
|
Lân
(L. balansae) |
Laos |
|
Banglang |
Vietnam
|
|
Lasila,
lasilak, linau, lumati, lumpian (L. piriformis) |
? |
|
Bang-lang
|
Cambodia |
|
Lendia
(L. parviflora) |
India |
|
Bangor |
India |
|
Lilas
des Indes |
France |
|
Batitinan
(L. piriformis) |
Philippines |
|
Mirto
Crespo |
Italy |
|
Bentak |
India |
|
Muruta
(L. speciosa) |
Ceylon
(Sri Lanka) |
|
Bungor |
Malaysia,
Sabah |
|
Nana |
India
|
|
Bungur |
Borneo,
Singapore, Indonesia, Indomalesia |
|
Nandi |
India
|
|
Byinma |
Burma,
India |
|
Puay |
Laos |
|
Crape
Myrtle (crepe myrtle) |
USA
|
|
Pyinma
(L. flos-reginae) |
Burma,
India |
|
Crespón |
México |
|
Queen
of Flowers |
England,
India |
|
Escumilha |
Brazil |
|
Regina
(L. speciosa) |
Brazil |
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Extremosa |
Brazil |
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Reseda |
Brazil |
|
Flor-da-rainha
(L. speciosa) |
Brazil |
|
Saru
Suberi (monkey slip) |
Japan |
|
Flor
de Reina (L. speciosa) |
Central
America |
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Sidha
(L. parviflora) |
Bangladesh,
Nepal, India (West Bengal) |
|
Intanin |
Thailand |
|
Sralao |
Korea? |
|
Jarul |
India |
|
Tabek |
Thailand |
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Julieta |
Brazil |
|
Tsjinkin |
China |