Greene, down in FL we say Liriope like "lye-rope-ee". I usually pronounce Latin names like I would a Spanish word. I mean, Spanish is a romance language based on Latin, so I can't be that far off, right?
Learning Latin names isn't just good for gardeners. My dad is a woodturner and not only do trees have common names that are the same, but they also have common names for wood that are the same! Dad said ironwood is a good example; it can mean several different trees. Luckily, he's got some good resources including the International Wood Collectors group. These people literally just collect little rectangle-size pieces (Dad says they have to be 3x5 and 1/4 inch thick) of various woods. And they're pretty militant about knowing which exact species they have. I think they trade them like Pokemon cards or something. And they gotta catch 'em all! It's also important to know which kind of plant or tree you're dealing with if you have allergies. There are several woods that Dad has to be careful turning because they contain certain chemicals that you don't want to inhale or get on your skin.
