A Cactus by Any Other Name
Read the article this discussion is about
- jerrib
- bindweed
- quaere
- bindweed
This archived discussion is "read only".
» bindweed - Common names like Stinky ":"
I have always hated some of the common names given to plants, and by the way I love the Stapeliad family. Not only are many plant names "Botanically Challenged" but they are "Politically Incorrect" as well! The wee little bee's balm...where do they go there when their feet hurt -- or what is so yucky about a "Yucca"?Gas Plant! Do I have to say more?
Finally we get to the real offensive labels.
"Wandering jew" "mother-in-law tongue"? And having majored in horticultural therapy I especially dislike the name "dumb cane" for dieffenbachia. Or how about putting "jap." after anything.
Tongue in cheek, Pansies and pussy toes would have to go and Senior citizens might well object to the Forget me not. Same for the "butt plant" Anise Hyssop!
Sorry to be so cheeky!
Herbert Senft
Manager Director - Pacific Northwest Gardening
Pacific Northwest
The Mad Cow Recipe Archives
Skyline Nursery
-- posted by bindweed
» quaere - Political-Correctness
Don't get me wrong-I think Stinky plants are some of the most fascinating of the succulents! My nickname for them is more like affectionate teasing than an actual criticism. When I first read about them, I thought their flowers couldn't really be that bad. I was only convinced by experiencing a couple first-hand.Probably, my view is also somewhat skewed by the fact that I'm not especially interested in flowers when it comes to succulents. I grow them mostly for they way they look all the time, although I am always impressed when they do bloom.
I agree with you about some common plant names. Some things I see cause me to raise an eyebrow. I always just figure they must be extremely long-standing names, though...
-- posted by quaere
» bindweed - Importance of Latin
Quere,You wrote "I agree with you about some common plant names. Some things I see cause me to raise an eyebrow. I always just figure they must be extremely long-standing names, though..."
Physical ailments gave birth to many names in the plant kingdom in the past and are still referred to today with goutweed and sneezeweed. Horehound and Beard's tongue fit in here somewhere.. I always wondered about the violent ones though.
Love-lies-bleeding, Bleeding heart, bloodroot.
Anyhow most are so unattractive, bladderwort, sneezeweed that I taught all my kids the Latin names. Even at eleven my daughters knew the proper botanicals ... if not perhaps the proper pronunciation. German born I would still stumble over some English words. Yosemite was Yos eh might and Milpitas was mill eh p i tus. Poor kids!
-- posted by bindweed
Please follow the guidelines set forth in the Suite101 Posting Etiquette when adding to the discussion.