Named after the brothers Claudio (1774-1842) and Estéban (1776-1813) Boutelou, Spanish botanists and horticulturists. Claudio was a professor of agriculture in Madrid and Esteban was possibly also
Species
rothrockii
After Dr. Joseph Trimble Rothrock (1839-1922), professor of botany at the University of Pennsylvania and surgeon on the Wheeler Exploring Expedition of 1873-1875