ðə dʒˈɛnəs wʌz ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəli nˈeɪmd sˌænsɪvɚɹˈɪniə baɪ vɪnsˈɛnzoʊ pˈɛɾæɡnə ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi sˈɛvən, tʊ ˈɑːnɚ hɪz pˈeɪtɹən pˈaɪətɹoʊ æntˈoʊnɪˌoʊ sˌænsɪvɚɹˈiːnoʊ, kˈaʊnt ʌv tʃˈaɪɚɹəmˌɔnt wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti fˈoːɹ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɛvənhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti wˈʌn, ɪn hˌuːz ɡˈɑːɹdən pˈɛɾæɡnə hæd sˈiːn ðə plˈænt.
The genus was originally named Sanseverinia by Vincenzo Petagna in 1787, to honor his patron Pietro Antonio Sanseverino, Count of Chiaromonte (1724–1771), in whose garden Petagna had seen the plant.