The specific epithet usually provides a good clue to the plant's looks or character. As you read plant catalogs and garden books, you'll notice several that are used over and over. Cultivar names can be spotted by the single quote marks that surround them. Cultivars are often named for people or places, but a few plant breeders follow a theme like songbirds or Shakespeare. Other breeders go for poetic names or fanciful things.
Genera are mostly feminine because most early Latin speakers thought of plants as feminine.
However, there are masculine, neuter and even plural genera. Alpinum is neuter gender, alpinus is the masculine gender. All have the same meaning, alpine. Even though many of you probably haven't taken a Latin course, learning the meanings of words can be fun. With frequent use and repetition, the names do eventually sink in.