Re: Paxistima canbyi

**"* L* <t*@earthlink.net>**

Doug: The problem with fun entries like yours concerning Pachistima is that many people will believe it to be true! The plant in question was named for its discoverer, William Marriott Canby (1831-1904), the genus if from the Greek pachys for having a thick stigma, and my best reference (Flora of West Virginia, June 1958) says the common name is derived from rats reported to strip off the leaves for winter feeding. Best, Peter
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doug Green" <deegeeguy@gmail.com>
To: "Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum" <gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 10:50 AM
Subject: Re: [GWL] Paxistima canbyi

>I hadn't wanted to bring this up -assuming wiser heads than mine would
> prevail but seeing as JF has weighed in here.  Let me simply tell you what I
> know of Paxistima canbyi.
> I understand it was named by the Roman general Canby (circa 125AD) who upon
> defeating the Gauls (for almost the last time the Romans did this) stated
> (English translation) "Peace in our time"  or Pax is tima   He was doing
> that while overlooking his armies (many of the soldiers were dead - having
> consumed daffodils for pain relief) but all the troops saw was him standing
> next to a shrub and they assumed he was talking about the shrub (Roman
> soldiers were hard of hearing because of the metal helmets they wore and
> after a battle where their heads were targets, their ears were usually quite
> useless).
> 
> So the shrub became Peace in our time or Pax-is-tima.  I believe it was one
> of the herbalists who added the General's name and we now know it as
> Paxistima canbyi.
> 
> I'm delighted to have clarified the muddification of this elucidative
> conversation.
> 
> Doug
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 8:19 AM, <frielster@aol.com> wrote:
> 
>>
>>  So planting P. c. is PC because it provides wildlife habitat?
>>
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>> Subject: Re: [GWL] Paxistima canbyi
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>> Hi, John -- A person who contacted me off-list found a reference,
>> cited below, which says the name comes from rats stripping the
>> branches from the plant to make a nest. As I told her, that's a
>> better image than the one I had, which is the plant stripped the hide
>> off of rats.
>>
>>
>> http://www.naturepreserves.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/34B6DB8D-C871-4EE5-B624-BBDD9BCE6F9C/0/Natky60_Fall2008.pdf
>> ,
>>
>> jems
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Doug Green @douggreen
> Editor-in-Chief
> SGF Publishing  www.simplegiftsfarm.com
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