This remote corner of the boards might take a plant post alongside the animals.
During the later years of her life ,
Mien Ruys, http://www.mienruys.nl/tuinen/ , a well known and respected Dutch landscape architect and writer of garden books passed the summertimes in her cottage next to her showgardens. By lucky chance I was among the people scheduled to do a few weeks of cooking for her during those periods. In exchange I could work on paintings in her gardens.(great after closing time) At sundown we had a small drink on her terrace and she talked. Of her past, career,plants and gardens.She always used latin names. I asked her (me no latinist) why all plant- freaks always use latin amongst eachother instead of the common names.I thought it a show off thing. My mistake.
She said working, talking about and the trade of trees/ plants and flowers would be impossible if common names were used. Even in small countries common names differ from region to region. And each species has too many variations. I understood , but still prefer to use the common names, if possible.( its a lot of latin
)
Through being on this forum I learned that
jonquil or
buttercup is the American/English name for daffodil. The English use daffodil.
While the Dutch use the name 'narcis'. for all daffodil variations.
Narcissus: def.:
1. Bulbous plant having erect linear leaves and showy yellow or white flowers either solitary or in clusters.
2.(Greek mythology) a beautiful young man who fell in love with his own reflection.
"Narcissus" is a name that signifies or is derived from: "asleep", "to be numb", "astonishment", "stupidity".
I could not find the relation between definition
2. and the name explication.
I always assumed we call them narsissen , because there heads are looking down like Narcissus looked down on his reflexion in the water mirror.
Buttercup in Eglish and Dutch is understood as:
1. Any of various plants of the genus Ranunculus
Synonyms: butterflower (e), boterbloem (d), crowfoot (e), kraaiepoot (d), goldcup (n), kingcup (n).
Forget-me-nots of the Angels. The stars are so called by Longfellow. The similitude between a little lightblue flower and the yellow stars is very remote. Stars are more like buttercups than forget-me-nots.
"Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of Heaven,
Blossom the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of
The angels"
Forget- me-nots or Myosotis are generally the litte blue ones. But in some countries they have named other flowers as Forget-me-nots.
So I understood latin is crucial for keeping off confusion.
OP
