Re: botanical babble
Barry Garcia wrote:
>
> theryans@xtra.co.nz writes:
> >Oxalis pes-caprae, BTW, is known as "soursops" in Australia
>
> Right there is a good example of why common names are bad to use by
> themselves...
>
> To me, if i heard someone discussing "Soursops" i would have thought
> they were talking about Annona muricata, which is called either Soursop
> or Guanabana. Its not even herbaceous, since its a tropical fruit
> tree...
Well, here in Western Australia (still marginally part of the continent
I think) Oxalis pes-caprae is, as someone mentioned, "sourgrass", and
thrives abundantly. I have got rid of *most* of it by dint of two heavy
sprays (when the garden was being established) and persistent follow-up
weeding, then the small one (corniculata or whatever it is) with little
yellow flowers took advantage of the reduction in competition - now that
most of that is gone the ground is covered more and more with a flat
purplish thing which I take to be the purple variant. Now should I
attack this with vigour? Up to now I have tended to think of it as a
kind of ground-cover-cum-green-mulch. Is it a menace too?
Speaking of Lippia, I am regretting allowing it to be sown as ground
cover - it's becoming a jungle and invading everything. But what do you
do? You want it to cover, then complain when it does!
Don't stop writing, Gay, your posts are a highlight of this list! And
let us keep the good humour (with emphasis on the "humour") we have
always had. Both sides of the common/vs./botanical name debate have made
some good points.
Beverly
--
Beverly Elischer
Perth, Western Australia
Ph. +61 8 9386 5244
