Funny Forsskaolii
- To: m*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Funny Forsskaolii
- From: t*@eddy.u-net.com (Tim Longville)
- Date: Wed, 04 Nov 1998 21:51:41 GMT
Well, at least my memory tangle seems to have set off an interesting
thread. At least, it is if like me you're always interested in the
different ways a plant behaves in different conditions.
The spelling is a problem. Betsy Clebsch has FORSKAOLEI. So does
Christine Yeo. So, once upon a time, did T. Longville. Then up popped
THE PLANT FINDER, the UK Bible nowadays for plant names, and opted for
FORSSKAOLII. Which obediently I'm now trying to switch to. Notice,
though, that in my first attempt I missed out one of the two s'es (how
do you spell THAT? I know there shouldn't be an apostrophe but how the
heck else to indicate the pronunciation? - esez, not sez). Mrs Clebsch
says that the plant is named in honour of a plant collector from
Finland called Peter Forsskal. That accounts, I guess, for the second
s. Now can someone tell me what accounts for the o (kaOlii)?? You -
well, I - would 'naturally' expect it to be FORSSKALII, no? Any of our
taxonomists out there listening and have a solution? Nick? Is THE
PLANT FINDER just preserving an original oddity-cum-illiteracy in the
spelling in the first publication of the name? or is there some
linguistic reason for the introduction of the o?
And I'd say yes, covering the seeds deeply is probably a mistake.
Well, it's a mistake if you want maximum germination. Of course, as
Bob and I would tell you, wanting maximum germination may be the REAL
mistake. 1% germination of seeds from any one plant would give you
100s of second generation seedlings. At least.
Greetings from the for once dry and sunny shores of the Solway Firth,
UK (snow on the hills already but no frosts yet by the sea)
Tim Longville
