Back on my 100th post I waxed a little sentimental. On my 1yr blogoversary I gave away a few small succulents. And now it’s post #500 and some of you are still reading! Well, you deserve a gift don’t you think? A small token of my appreciation? And what better than a book?Let me explain…I was very excited to receive The Kew Plant Glossary: An Illustrated Dictionary of Plant Identification Terms as a Christmas gift from my in-laws. So excited that I showed it to my husband as soon as he got home from work. He wasn’t so excited…turns out he had bought it for me too. His disappointment turned to my enthusiasm when I realized this meant I had an extra copy to give away!
So if you are interested in receiving a copy of the Kew Plant Glossary leave a comment on this post...however in order to be considered your comment needs to include your favorite fancy, hard to pronounce, or just plain crazy botanical term. It can be the name of a plant, a condition, a feature…whatever. A random winner will be chosen on December 29th from those who play by the rule (rule doesn’t sound right, I wanted to say rules but there is only one so I guess it’s the rule). And sad to say but you’ve got to be a plain old continental U.S. resident to enter, or have a continental U.S. shipping address.I’ll get things started: do you know what a ‘spiricle’ is? Spiricle = minute coiled threads in some seed coats that uncoil when moistened. No I didn’t know that before I owned the Kew Plant Glossary. (see what fantabulous knowledge awaits the winner!)
Congratulations, can I say say you do not look 500.
ReplyDeleteI know I can not enter but if I could it would have to be either agave guadalajarana, simply for the sheer number of a's. Or my word of the week Distichous
I have a very childish entry, the botanical name for Titan Arum: Amorphophallus titanum - tee hee hee heee
ReplyDeletecongrats on post 500
Congrats on 500, may I one day grow up to be like you - here's one I've always had trouble with: santolina chamaecyparissus
ReplyDeleteGreat "500" image! And congratulations on your 500th post.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite botanical terms is autotrophic nutrition, which I learned from Botany for Gardeners by Brian Capon. It refers to plants that photosynthesize, and it begins when a seedling stops feeding on the prepared food source of the seed and begins to create all the food it will need for itself using photosynthesis.
Congrats on #500~ Might Be cheating but I have a double dose of horticultural nonsence.. look at the peduncles on that kolkwitzia amabilis.. sounds funnier when you say it outloud.. what a plant nerd...
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 500th post, wow that is a lot of writing and picture-posting!
ReplyDeleteI would love a copy of the book. I think one of my favorite botanical terms is meristem. It always makes me think of happy, dancing flowers!
Congratulations, Loree! Immediately my mind went to Ilex vomitoria. Vomitoria ha, ha! Doesn't that sound like a special place for people to go and ... well you get the idea. "Sir," hand held over mouth in an effort to hold back lunch, "could you direct me to the nearest vomitoria?" Cracks me up. Call me weird.
ReplyDeleteAnd interestingly 'vomitoria' means exactly what it we think it would mean. A plant that induces vomiting. [In this case a holly (Ilex).]
Glycine max (soybean) sounds to me like it ought to be a character in a western. Wild Bill's showdown with Glycine Max, that kind of thing.
ReplyDelete500, that's impressive! congrats and thanks!
ReplyDeletefor some reason one of my favorite gardening terms is nothing fancy: "bolted," maybe for it's metaphorical implications.
I enjoy your blog. Keep up the good work. The book sounds amazing. Botanical words I just enjoy saying... deodara and cotoneaster.
ReplyDelete500 and going strong!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite species name for a plant that fits your blog theme: Agave tequilana. There's no arguing that this is a very useful plant.
Dracunculus vulgaris: a plant that looks and smells as evil as it sounds!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on #500! That's awesome.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite term is the first I ever learned...and the stuff we grew in the fields on our farm.
Gossypium hirsutum with that hirsute part being the term for 'hairy'.
You are probably wearing the stuff on any given day in the summertime.
David/ Tropical Texana/ Houston
My favorite is the Araucaria araucana. Not only a favorite of plant nerds and spelling geeks, but a regular lethal weapon if you're struck by one. Congrats on the 500th post! So glad to have stumbled upon your blog.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on #500 of your wonderful blog, and I'm also enjoying everyone's delightful terms and names. I too have always loved "vomitoria".
ReplyDeleteI just learned this really cool term: "caruncules" are those warty lumpy things on some of the hybrid Echeverias like 'Mauna Loa'.
My favorite plant term is "monocarpic" - plants that die after flowering. It's so poetic.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy saying "Liquidambar styraciflua", and I really like anything with virginiana in the name.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your
centesimum quinque scriptis!
Count me in with the aptly named "Dog Vomit Slime Mold." It's a way better than its Latin name Fuligo Septica, which sounds more like a Roman dude.
ReplyDeleteEuphorbia amygdaloides
ReplyDeleteI like the '-oides' on the end of things, I think it sounds funny, almost like a New York accent. 'Thoidy-Thoid and Thoid'
Jim "Dog Vomit Slime Mold" classic. Must get me some of that! Maybe you can buy some at a vomitorium?
ReplyDeleteYour blog is superb.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite botanical word is indehiscent...a plant that doesn't hiss?(Actually, a seed pod or fruit that doesn't open at maturity to release its seeds).
Congratulations on your 500, My entry has to be detritus, because I'm so untidy in the garden .
ReplyDeleteCongrats! My favorite descriptive plant word is pubescens. How can you not love a plant with fuzzy, hairy pubes?
ReplyDeleteCongratulations...that's a milestone of dedication, for sure! I think my favorite botanical "term" is Humulus lupulus, I know it's just Hops, but I love the way it sounds, like a character from Harry Potter or something.
ReplyDelete500! That's wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI like tomentose. "covered with short, dense, matted hairs"
The example I like is the underside of Schefflera macrophylla leaves----"leathery, abaxially densely white to light brown-orange tomentose". Gorgeous!