funny names

those who know me well will tell you that i'm a bit of a nerd. i like to think of myself as being .. 'scholastic' or 'academic.' sounds less socially inept. anyway, today i was acting on my academic impulses and dug even deeper into flower and plant varieties. the scientific names are hard to pronounce, so i like to know the familiar layman's terms given to flowers and plants. and i was pleasantly surprised to find some odd names.

take, for example, the trendy household plant sansevieria, very popular as an indoor plant because of its detoxification properties and its associations with good luck. the common name for this plant is "MOTHER IN LAW'S TONGUE." as i read up on the plant, it occured to me why it's called that. it has a hardiness and virtual indestructability that makes it almost unkillable. it also has sharp 'sword-like' stalks .. you know, like the sharp tongue of a mother in law! hahahaha. [photo by peterbreuer via flickr]

let's take a look at one of my faves, the ranunculus. here is an excerpt from my new favorite site, flowers.org from the UK.

In fairy tales frogs are apt to change into princes and it was an Asian prince in just such a story who gave his name to this flower, which grows naturally in swampy ground. The prince was so good-looking that he was loved by everyone. He also had a beautiful voice but this was his undoing. He loved the open country and sang delightful songs in the presence of nymphs. He did not have the courage to declare his love to them and this haunted him so much that he died. After his death he was changed into the flower with delicate tissuey petals which bears his name. [photo jane.siet via flickr]

love the story!!! a frog prince .. how charming~