nomenclatural question

[John Grehan]

I am posting this on behalf of Michael Heads who recently noticed the
publication of a new species named Coprosma elatirioides in the New Zealand
Journal of Botany. In botany a name ending in -oides indicates a perceived
resemblance to another plant or animal, but a plant dictionary failed to
reveal any name for Elatirium. When the paper was rechecked he saw the
plant was actually named after elatirium, Greek for 'spring' (the plant is
springy).  Does anyone on the list know of any other examples where a plant
name ending in -oides is based on the name of an inanimate object, not a
plant or animal? Mike would be interested to know.

John Grehan