2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Very often the name of the plant does not carry a visible semantic load, forcing one to wonder what was the basis for such a name for the plant. Sometimes it turns out that the reason lies in the ancient Greek language, which botanists of past centuries liked to rely on, unlike us, who are familiar with this language. Sometimes, in the name of the plant, the memory of botanists, or of people who loved to grow plants, is immortalized
Lapazheria, climbing bush
Farther away, beyond the seas-oceans, in the distant mountains with the name of the Andes, which stretch across the lands of the country of Chile, there lives a real scarlet flower, which was ordered by the youngest daughter of a merchant from the fairy tale of the same name by Sergei Timofeevich Aksakov.
That scarlet flower blooms on the plant with the mysterious name "Lapageria rosea", the only species of the genus "Lapageria" from the family "Philesiaceae" (Philesiaceae).
But, neither the ability of the liana plant to climb on supports, nor its dark green leathery leaves, nor the picturesque large bell-shaped flowers help to understand the essence of the plant's name, since it is based not on the morphological features of the plant, but on the memory of a person.
In the name of the genus "Lapageria" botanists have preserved the memory of Napoleon's first wife, Josephine, who received the name at birth - Marie Rose Josepha Tascher de La Pagerie, the ending of which was used in the name.
Living after her divorce from Napoleon in the Malmaison estate, she was finally able to free herself from political upheavals and devote most of her time to her long-standing love for plants. A rich collection of exotic plant species unseen by Europeans settled in the manor's greenhouses. With her passion for gardening, she inspired botanists to give the name of a genus, consisting of only one species, her name.
In addition, another genus of plants bears her name - Josephinia, belonging to the Pedaliaceae family.
Barqueria, deciduous orchid
The amazingly beautiful world of orchids, most of which prefer the warm and humid climate of the tropics, delights with its versatility, the ability of certain species to live without soil, as well as unusual names, the essence of which cannot always be understood without a long search.
These include the genus "Barkeria" (Barkeria) of the Orchid family, accustomed to shedding foliage for a dormant period that coincides with the dry season.
The name of the genus keeps the memory of George Barker (George Barker, 1776 - 1845), who combined the profession of a lawyer with a passion for botany. It was George Barker that the British owe their acquaintance with the picturesque orchids, since he was the first botanist who managed to grow Mexican orchids on the territory of cloudy England.
Graceful bracts of Justice
The first association from the word "justice" is a gloomy gray institution, called on duty to restore justice and legality of human relations.
However, the exact same word is used to describe the genus of colorful plants of the Acanthaceae family, which prefer to grow in the tropics. The beauty of flowering plants do not owe their flowers, but gently colored elongated bracts.
The name of the genus "Justicia" (Justice) has nothing to do with a state institution. The name honors the memory of James Justice (1698 - 1763), a Scottish gardener who was so passionate about and devoted to the plant kingdom of the planet that he managed to violate the financial discipline of the British kingdom. Caught in overspending on potting mixes and planting greenhouses, he was expelled from the ranks of the British Royal Society gardeners.
What the financiers did not forgive James, botanists who were keen on their business not only forgave, but also named the genus of plants after the Scottish gardener.
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