The MGS Forum
Miscellaneous => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: John J on October 14, 2016, 10:19:46 AM
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Side by side with my affection for plants I have developed a fascination for the romanticism, folklore, mythology, call it what you will, that is so often associated with them. I began to wonder whether other members of the Forum might share this particular idiosyncrasy with me and so decided to open a thread that I have entitled, Botanical Trivia, in order to sound out this premise. If so then please feel free to add your own favourite stories.
I begin with some members of the Bignoniaceae family. Four of them in fact who all appear to have begun their botanical lives by being included in the genus Bignonia. They all passed through a variety of alternative genera before eventually coming to rest in the ones that they currently occupy.
Firstly we have Tecoma capensis. This South African shrub arrived via the Tecomaria genus, unlike Tecoma stans which came by way of Stenolobium. Pandorea jasminoides was named for Pandora, she of the infamous 'Pandora's Box' (actually it was probably a large vase but I suppose 'Pandora's Vase' didn't have quite the same ring to it). The generic name of Pandora was chosen because the type-species was associated with an insect plague on its Norfolk Island home. I guess it represented the Hope that was all that remained in Pandora's 'container' once all the terrible afflictions with which it had been filled had poured out after it was opened. Possibly proving that at least someone had a sense of the dramatic. Lastly we have Podranea ricasoliana By the time it had been decided that it deserved a genus of its own everyone seems to have suffered an imagination failure as the best they could come up with was an anagram of Pandorea.
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In my previous post I mentioned Pandora, a character from Greek Mythology, who was sent by the gods of Olympus to punish the mortal Prometheus for having had the audacity to steal fire from them. Similar tales of mortals being punished by higher beings also occur in the folklore of other cultures. One such example from Chinese legend involves the belief that a Cassia grows on the moon. The unfortunate mortal, one Kang Wou, discovered a genie, but he misused the powers that were bestowed upon him. As a punishment he was destined to spend all of eternity attempting to cut down the Cassia that grew on the moon.
I have no evidence that the tree in question was a Cassia fistula but it's a beautiful tree and it would be a shame to cut it down. None of the moon missions have ever mentioned anything about seeing a tree up there so did old Kang Wou succeed in the end?
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If you are looking for plants associated with myths, one of the first ones I would mention is Narcissus. There is both a Greek and a Roman version of the myth of Narcissus, I suppose they are so well known that I don't have to repeat them here.
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Thanks for reminding me of that, Jorun. What I was attempting was a rather light-hearted look at the stories associated with plants that I grow so that I could include photos with them. I don't have any Narcissus in the garden but I will keep them in mind for future reference. In fact I have just realized that I have some photos of Narcissus in the wild taken on an MGS trip to the Epirus area of Greece so I could do it. So, watch this space!
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As JTh rightly says in her post there are a variety of stories associated with Narcissus. Some well known, others less so. Even within these stories there are variants of detail.
In Ancient Greece Narcissus was an extremely handsome young man, offspring of a 'liaison' between the naiad, Liriope, and the river god, Cephisus. His extreme beauty attracted the attentions of more than a few female admirers. However, he appears to have been incapable of returning their affections, even being quite cruel in his rejection of their advances. The fate of poor Echo being just one case in point. There are conflicting versions with regard to his ultimate demise. Most seem to agree that he fell in love with his own reflection after seeing it in a pool of water. One ending has him falling into the pool and drowning whilst attempting to reach this paragon of beauty. Another has him committing suicide by stabbing himself with a sword when he realizes that he can never obtain his goal. A white daffodil with a red centre sprang from his blood, or alternatively, when his body was carried to the funeral pyre on the banks of the River Styx it was found to have transformed into a daffodil. The centre cup was said to contain his tears.
Needless to say Chinese legend takes a completely different approach to the subject. An old lady living in Fukien province took pity on a beggar and gave him her last bowl of rice. After thanking her he ate it greedily and disappeared, but not before spitting the last few grains onto the ground. The following morning the old lady found white daffodils with yellow centres growing on that very spot. She became rich by selling the flowers.
The photo shows Narcissus poeticus photographed on an MGS trip to the Epirus region of Greece in May 2015.
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In China the narcissus is female not male - the Goddess Who Stands Above the Waves, or the Water Goddess, one of two goddesses of the River Xiang in Hunan, the ancient kingdom of Chu. Apparently it's the gently waving graceful leaves rather than the flower which earns its legendary name there (as shown in the calligraphic scroll painting dating from about 1225 that I've clipped part of below). More trivia: it's actually the Mediterranean Narcissus tazetta, which was widely naturalised there probably about a thousand years ago as a result of Silk Road trading; traditionally, if the narcissuses are in bloom at the time of the Chinese New Year, it will be a year of good fortune (a fairly safe bet, given their normal season). N. tazetta has also been naturalised in some parts of Japan for almost as long, and when I was there I was told that some colonies now cover vast swathes when they're flowering in January and February.
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The story from Greek Mythology of how Lotus, the beautiful water nymph, whose unrequited love for the hero, Hercules, led to her pining away until she died is fairly well known. Fortunately the goddess, Hebe, turned her into the first waterlily.
Personally, I prefer two quite similar tales told by Native American tribes. In the first a star maiden came to a Dakota chief named Red Strawberry Man in a dream and told him that she wanted to come down and live amongst the Dakota people. The chief sent his son to fetch the wise man of the tribe to ask him about this. The wise man lived on the opposite shore of the lake and, in his haste and in the darkness, the son's canoe struck a floating log. The star maiden, who was travelling with him, fell overboard and drowned. The following morning, in the same place, there was a waterlily with shining yellow flowers growing.
In the version told by the Chippewa the star maiden wished to get closer to the tribe over whom she shone at night. Not knowing how to achieve this she appeared to a young man of the tribe in a vision and asked him to consult the elders about her problem. Their suggestion was that she become the heart of a flower. Firstly she became a mountain rose but found that she was still not close enough. So she became a prairie flower, but this presented the danger of either being eaten by or trampled upon by the bison who lived there. In the end she decided to float on the lake next to which the tribe lived and when she spread her wings out over the water she became the first waterlily.
On that note I depart for the MGS AGM in Athens, but keep watching this space for more tall tales when I return.
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I always think back to some of the Dreamtime stories from Indigenous Australian's.
The first that springs to mind is the story of the Boab Tree and that it was too proud and arrogant of it's own beauty and the gods got angry at this so they uprooted the tree was planted it upside down squashing the trunk and exposing the roots as the new branches.
There are certainly many more dreamtime stories too concerning plants and trees as they are the lifeblood of people who lived off the land.
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Hibiscus especially H. rosa-sinensis tends to be associated with exotic maidens from exotic locations. Long ago one man became so angry with his particular exotic maiden wife that he set her adrift on the sea on an open raft. However, she had been warned of her husband's intentions by the gods who told her to prepare a survival kit. This consisted of ashes, a coconut shell and a hibiscus branch. Once the raft was well out to sea the woman did as she had been advised by the gods and scattered the ashes on the water. She then pushed the hibiscus branch into the seabed before placing the coconut shell on top of it. She was thus able to land on the island this created and was safe. This island, now called Kayangel, is in the pacific and the sacred hibiscus still grows on it.
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The story goes that in the past when a girl was born into a Chinese family a Paulownia tomentosa tree was planted. These are so fast growing that by the time the young lady was of an age to marry the tree could be cut down to allow household items for her dowry to be made from the wood.
Its common names in China of Empress tree and Princess tree seem so much more attractive than the rather mundane label given to it in the western world of Foxglove tree.
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When I first moved to Kuala Lumpur (a long time ago) I made the terrible faux pas of asking if karkadè was a national drink. How could anybody dream of drinking an infusion made from their national plant! I never asked again. Reading up on it on the internet it turns out that the plant used for the infusion is a different species of Hibiscus, Hibiscus sabdariffa and not Hibiscus rosa sinensis. If only I had known that at the time, I might have been able to save face - maybe just a little.
I drank it the first time I came to Italy and Wikipedia tells us "In Italy hibiscus tea, known as carcadè or Italian tea, is usually drunk hot, often with the addition of sugar and lemon juice. First introduced from Eritrea, it was widely used as a tea substitute when the country was hit by trade sanctions for its invasion of Abyssinia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_tea
There is a little story here about the selection of the flower to represent Malaysia.
http://www.expatgo.com/my/2016/02/18/hibiscus-story-malaysias-national-flower/
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The leaf of the acanthus is famous for being the inspiration behind the decoration atop Corinthian columns in Ancient Greece. There are many variations of the story as to how this came about but the main gist is basically the same. The one that I quite like is that related by the author and hellenophile, Lawrence Durrell, but I could be biased by my admiration for his writing.
His story involves the sad passing of a beautiful young maiden (aren't they always? I don't recall any myths or legends that involve ugly young maidens). Following her burial her nurse had the idea that she might appreciate some of her favourite possessions being near, so she placed them in a basket and left it on her grave. To protect the items from the elements she put a large tile over the basket. Unbeknownst to all, the grave had been dug in an acanthus patch, so when the time came and this plant grew its leaves were turned back by the obstructing tile. The architect, Callimachos, happened to pass by one day and on seeing this had a Eureka moment (if you'll forgive the reference to a different Greek legend). He saw at once that it was just what he was looking for to top off the new columns he was designing for Corinth.
In place of a photo of an Acanthus, I think we all know what they look like, I have one of a memorial plaque to the great writer, Lawrence Durrell. This is situated on the seafront of Corfu Town and was photographed last month on the MGS post AGM trip to the island of Corfu.
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Thank you, John, about the myths about the acanthus leave. The acanthus is not used only in Corinthian columns; it is also the inspiration for what is considered the most typical Norwegian traditional decorative folk art in rural parts of Norway, called rosemaling, or ‘rose painting’, used in churches, homes (cupboards, walls, chests and bowls). It was brought to the country around 1750, I found a description in English here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosem%C3%A5ling.
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In Mexico the semi- dried flowers of Hibiscus sabdariffa are known as Flor de Jamaica - Jamaica flower. I remember the tea made with them as extremely refreshing, if a somewhat alarming colour.
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Thanks for that, Jorun, it just goes to illustrate how the movement of people around the world can have a positive impact on different cultures.
Back to the trivia.
There are a number of stories associated with how Cercis siliquastrum gained the name of Judas tree. Probably the most common is the one about how he hanged himself from one in remorse following his betrayal of Christ. It is also said that Judas cast away the 40 pieces of silver that he had been paid for his betrayal and that wherever a coin landed a Cercis tree sprang up, presumably quickly enough for him to use one of them to hang himself.
Actually the first time that the Cercis is referred to as the Judas tree would seem to be in 1597 in Gerard's Herbal. The more probable explanation is that the name is a corruption of 'Judea tree', the tree of Judea.
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There was an older tradition that the tree on which Judas hanged himself was the elder (Sambucus nigra), which does also occur in Israel - and which is involved in a good many other beliefs and superstitions.
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Exactly right, Alisdair, on both counts. Among the other trees laying claim to being the one that Judas chose to hang himself from are the common fig (Ficus carica) and the aspen (Populus tremula).
As you also say there are a multitude of other stories about the elder.
In the UK it is often associated with witches and witchcraft. One such story tells of the fate of a Danish army who met a witch while marching through Oxfordshire on the way to fight the English. The Danish king requested the witch tell his fortune, to which she replied;
"Seven long strides thou shalt take,
and if Long Crompton thou canst see
King of England thou shalt be".
As he was near the top of the hill he thought this would be easy, but as he took the seventh stride the ground rose up ahead of him obscuring his view. The witch went on;
"As Long Crompton thou canst not see
King of England thou shalt not be.
Rise up stick and stand still stone
For King of England thou shalt be none.
Thou and thy men hoar stones shall be,
And I, myself an elder tree".
So the King and all his men were turned to stone.
A single stone standing alone from the others is named the King Stone and has an elder tree growing nearby.
The elder was not only claimed as being the tree from which Judas hanged himself but some sources say that the crucifixion cross was also made from elder.
The elder features in Scandinavian and Teutonic myths and on the Scottish borders it is claimed that elder grows where blood has been shed.
Certain Native American tribes believed the elder to be the mother of the human race.
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Interesting. Does this "King Stone" exist?
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Yes, Hilary, it is part of a Neolithic and Bronze Age complex known as the Rollright Stones on the border of Oxfordshire and Warwickshire near to Long Compton. The other main constituents of the site are The King's Men, a circle of stones who were the King's most loyal followers, and The Whispering Knights, who had questioned the King's decision.
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Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) commonly known as Herb Louisa as it was named in honour of Princess Maria Louisa of Parma.
Would appear to be a useful plant to have around as, apparently, wearing it renders the wearer attractive to the opposite sex.
It is also associated with dreams. Either drinking a small quantity of its juice or wearing a piece of it around the neck before going to bed will guarantee a good night's sleep with no dreams. If one would prefer to experience sweet dreams a little lemon verbena on the pillow will do the trick.
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Cupressus sempervirens is associated with mourning. As personified by that other great Hellenophile, Lord Byron, who wrote: "Dark trees, still sad when other's grief is fled, The only constant mourner of the dead".
In many countries, including here in Cyprus, they can be found growing near to churches and/or in graveyards. In our own village the main church had a row of them almost directly outside until, several years ago, it was decided to extend the paved area surrounding the building outwards into the packed-earth 'car park' and the trees were cut down. Not a popular decision with everyone, especially the older generation, as you can imagine.
As with many plants the cypress has several myths and legends attached to it. Its name is said to derive from Cyparissos who was loved by the god Apollo. However, when he inadvertently killed one of Apollo's favourite stags he was so distraught that he committed suicide. He begged the gods to grant him a way to grieve for eternity, so they turned him into a cypress tree and it has symbolized mourning ever since.
Because the wood of the cypress is so durable it was used by the Phoenicians to build their ships. Various other claims have been made regarding the uses of cypress wood, such as for Cupid's darts, Noah's Ark, Hercules' club and even for the crucifixion cross.
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In Greek the honey bee is called melissa and it was believed that they were so attracted to the smell of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm) that rubbing it on their hives would ensure that they never strayed.
However, it is to the UK that we go for our main story, specifically to Staffordshire. One day a nomadic Jew by the name of Ahasuerus stopped at a cottage to ask for a drink. Even though the cottager was unwell, and Jews were not exactly welcomed at that time, he invited him in and gave him a cup of ale. In response to this kindness Ahasuerus told the man to soak three balm leaves in a goblet of ale. He was then to drink this infusion, refilling the goblet as it became empty and replacing the old leaves with new ones every four days. On the twelfth day the man was totally cured, either that or he was too stoned to care any more!
Another medicinal benefit attributed to the plant was that of being able to heal sword wounds. Not, as you might think, by treating the wound with the herb but by tying it to the sword in question. Whether this should be done before or after the wound was inflicted isn't clear.
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Today's photo on the MGS Facebook page is of a Brugmansia suaveolens. I don't have any anecdotes about that particular plant but the Datura, in which genus it was once included, is certainly more notorious.
The Aztecs considered it to be sacred, their shamans using it in magical rites, as, it was believed, did witches in Britain. Just having the plant growing in a garden could get the owner denounced as a witch. On the other hand it was also believed that it would protect against witchcraft if sprinkled around the house.
A physician living in the 1600s, John Pechey, declared that drinking beer into which powdered Datura seeds had been added led to a temporary madness of 24 hours duration. No mention is made of how much beer had to be consumed for this state to occur, however, the fact that the good doctor's residence is listed as the Angel and Crown is a little suspicious.
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Recently Hilary has been featuring a selection of roses on her Plants of the World on postage stamps thread. So, to pick up the rose theme we have the Damask Rose, Rosa x damascena.
As far as can be ascertained it probably arose (sorry :P) from a chance hybridization.
Probably its major asset is its amazing scent, described by Herodotus as the scent that surpasses all others.
Robert de Brie, a Crusader knight is traditionally credited with introducing it to Europe, having brought it back from the Holy Land to his estates in Champagne. From there it spread to the rest of the continent, no doubt due largely to the aforementioned incredible scent.
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Rosemary has been around for thousands of years, although it was not introduced into Britain until the 14th Century.
There is an old Christian belief that a rosemary bush cannot grow taller than a man or exceed the lifespan of Christ, thirty-three years.
One of the most romantic legends associated with rosemary comes from Italy.
It involves a queen who was unable to have children. One day in her garden she came upon a rosemary plant and, feeling jealous of its fresh new growth, wished she could also produce new life. In the fullness of time her wish was granted and she gave birth to a small rosemary plant. Undaunted she lavished all her affection upon it. However, her nephew, who was the King of Spain, decided to play a trick upon her and stole it. A rather nasty trick it might be said although he did continue to look after it, even watering it with goat's milk. Imagine his surprise when one day as he played his flute nearby a beautiful young girl stepped out from the plant. Obviously, otherwise there wouldn't be much point to the story, he fell madly in love with her. The time came when his royal duties called upon him to leave for battle, presenting the problem of what to do about his secret. He gave his gardener strict instructions to care for the plant and to ensure that no-one ever played music anywhere near it. Unfortunately, one day he forgot his master's orders and absent-mindedly began to play his flute. The young maiden appeared but the king's sisters, seeing this lovely intruder, attacked her and she vanished, whereupon the plant began to whither and die. The terrified gardener ran away in order to avoid the king's anger. On the way he came across a dragon who told him that the plant could only be revived by feeding it with dragon's blood. Whereupon he killed the dragon, took it's blood and fed the plant, which recovered. The king returned to find his plant with its mystical maiden just as he had left it. Needless to say the king thanked his gardener and married the maiden, the beautiful Rosa Marina.
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How many readers of the Forum grow a Norfolk Island Pine (Auraucaria heterophyla)?
How many know that it is said to be capable of warding off evil if grown near to the house? Also that under its protection they will never suffer from hunger?
I'm not sure how close to the house is considered near but our tree is about 25 metres away. Nor am I sure how well it is performing in the case of evil but I have to admit that we have rarely gone hungry. ::)
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Who knew that common sage (Salvia officinalis) was considered to be sacred by the Romans, that it could create life and that by eating it one could become immortal?
'Cur moriatur homo, cui salvia crescit in horto?' (Why should a man die who has sage in his garden?) Hmmm!! :-\
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Cyprus is the island of Aphrodite; 'She who was born of the foam off Paphos'.
It is said that when she emerged from the waves she hid her nakedness behind a myrtle bush.
The Romans had her, in her reincarnation as Venus, hiding amongst myrtle bushes in an attempt to evade the unwanted attentions of a group of satyrs. No wonder the plant was considered to be sacred to her.
In other stories in which the two are linked, one credits her with the creation of the myrtle plant, while another states that she was crowned with a myrtle wreath following Paris judging her to be the most beautiful of the goddesses.
Again in her Roman guise as Venus she is said to have whipped Psyche with a myrtle rod for seducing her son Cupid.
There are many more but to mention just a couple of others that don't involve the Goddess of Love, a Christian story tells that when Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden they were given permission to take just three things with them. They chose the date, wheat and myrtle because they were the best fruit, cereal and fragrance respectively.
In a Muslim version Adam took only myrtle that he had collected from the place where he had first declared his love for Eve. How romantic is that, ladies?
On the medicinal front, it is said that drinking myrtle tea every three days helps to keep a person looking young.
Hmm!! wonder if it's too late to start now? ??? Probably need to drink several litres. :-\
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Christmas is fast approaching and a vast number of Euphorbia pulcherrima plants that have been propagated and grown on over several months are being purchased as short term decorations before ultimately ending in the garbage or on the compost heap.
The common name of poinsettia comes from an amateur botanist, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the first US ambassador to Mexico.
I don't know whether or not the two are linked but there is a story about an extremely poor Mexican boy who, being unable to purchase a Christmas gift for the church, laid a bunch of weeds that he had picked on the altar on Christmas Eve. They were miraculously transformed into the red and green flowers of the poinsettia.
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For me oranges have always had a certain association with this time of the year. Growing up in the UK in the late 1940s they were a scarce commodity and traditionally to be found at the toe of the Christmas stocking.
Apart from their more obvious benefits as a source of essential, fragrant oils used in perfumes, such as Eau de Cologne, and their less obvious uses as an ingredient in a variety of love potions and rituals, they can be a useful aid when difficult choices need to be made. When it proves hard to decide between two courses of action, eat an orange. Think about the problem as you do so and once finished count the number of pips (ensure that you don't swallow any as that is likely to affect the result, apart from the fact that we were told as children that it would end in an orange tree growing in your stomach). If you have an even number of pips then the answer to your question is 'no' and if odd it's 'yes'.
Even if it turns out to be wrong you should benefit from the intake of Vitamin C. :D
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What could be more representative of Christmas than the holly and the ivy. However, this was not always the case. For centuries holly had been associated with pagan rituals and this led to the church banning its use in Christmas decorations. Not until the 1600s, when tales emerged linking it to Christ in a number of ways, did it become acceptable.
In fact ivy may have been an equally appropriate candidate for a ban due to its chequered past. According to a variety of stories, too numerous to mention, it was associated with the Greek god Dionysus (Roman Bacchus) and had come to symbolize unrestricted drinking and feasting. (Been a few decades since I last indulged in one of those Christmases ::)).
Wherever you may be in the world if you are celebrating at this time do it wisely and well, and may 2017 be a good year for you.
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It may be a little late for this year but perhaps one to remember for the future, especially for those who dislike cabbage. It seems that having one in the house at New Year was once thought to be a sign of bad luck for the coming year.
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I hope red cabbage is exempt, John, as we had it (with goose, yum!) for supper on New Year's Eve and the left-overs are still in our fridge.
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Alisdair, my source only mentions Brassica oleracea capitata it doesn't differentiate between Common, Savoy or Red, I'm afraid. So maybe you'll have to keep your fingers crossed and hope that it's an 'Old Wives' Tale', or possibly a propaganda ploy used by people who didn't like cabbage. ;)
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I'm not overly worried, I always make a lot of 'surkål', a traditional Norwegian cabbage recipe with vinegar, sugar and caraway seeds, a must with our Christmas meal, and I always make far more than we can digest during this season, so I have to freeze the leftovers for later use. I have survived, so far. Maybe it's only unprocessed cabbage that brings bad luck?
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In a different thread David Dickinson in Rome mentions the sad fate that has befallen his Canna plants due to the cold, wet weather they have been experiencing in that part of the Med.
According to a tale from Burma (or should that be Myanmar?) the Canna originally sprang from the blood of the Buddha. It came about because of the envy felt by his cousin, Dawadat, due to the Buddha's popularity. Dawadat attempted to kill his cousin by rolling a stone down the hill below which the Buddha was meditating. However, before it reached its intended target it shattered into small pieces, one of which cut the Buddha's toe. It was from the blood of this cut that the Canna arose. That's all very well for the red one but where did the other colours come from?
Anyway, David, here's hoping that your plants recover without you having to resort to bloodletting. ;D
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And there is still some of the blood in there it seems. I collected some seeds from a pink Canna wondering what might come out if any of the seeds germinated. The resulting pale yellow flowers were a surprise. A very pleasant one though. The blood is still there in the pinkish streaks in them. Not quite as full blooded as the original red varieties but still blood traces there nonetheless.
Let's hope that with the onset of warmer weather the blood liquefies just like that of San Gennaro http://www.miraclesofthechurch.com/2010/10/blood-miracle-of-st-januarius-gennaro.html It would be a shame to lose what I think is my nicest Canna plant with beautiful pale green/grayish leaves to set off the yellow/smoky pink.
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One list that I came across claims the Rose as the National Flower of Cyprus. As far as I am aware this has never been the case. It was only relatively recently that the endemic Cyclamen cyprium was chosen to fill that position.
Perhaps the compiler of the list was suffering from the 'diffidence' and 'indifference' said to be associated with the genus as a whole.
On the plus side the growing of cyclamen is also believed to provide an effective shield against harmful spells.
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Today's MGS Facebook cover photo is of a mandrake growing in the Society's garden, Sparoza. Alisdair, who edits the Facebook page, mentions that they seem to be quite prolific this year. That would certainly appear to be the case in Cyprus as the ones we have found so far are among the largest and most floriferous I have ever seen.
There are many stories associated with the mandrake, several related to its alleged response to any attempt to uproot it as alluded to by Alisdair. Not all of the early 'botanists' believed these stories of madness and even death being suffered by those who tried to collect the herb. Theophrastus (370-255BC) described the elaborate rites associated with collecting the plant as 'humbug'. John Gerard, who was not averse to subscribing to some rather odd beliefs, called the tales ridiculous and advised that they be cast out of "your bookes of memorie".
In ancient Greek mythology it is said that Circe, the daughter of Hecate, included mandrake as an ingredient in one of her brews that was reputed to turn men into swine. Several modern alcoholic beverages can possibly lay claim to having a similar effect! ;D
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It is possible that those who collected the herb also consumed it, in particular the berries, hence the tales ....
Best
Corrado & Rina
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I haven't posted anything on this thread for a while due to a variety of reasons but an incident yesterday prompted me to return.
Fellow MGS member and good friend, Yiannos Orphanos, stopped by my house with a beautiful Paphiopedilum orchid he had acquired. This genus was established by Ernst Hugo Heinrich Pfitzer in 1886. They are commonly known as Lady's Slipper orchids and the story goes that the gentleman in question gave a lot of thought as to who might be considered to have been the most beautiful 'Lady' in the history of the world. The answer he came up with was Aphrodite (Venus). The area of Paphos in Cyprus is sacred to Aphrodite, being the place of her birth, hence Paphio. The pedilum derives from the Ancient Greek pedilon, a slipper. So, although this genus of orchid is unknown on the island, or in the Mediterranean, being native to the Far East, this particular plant is Venus' slipper orchid.
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I have just come across a drawing by Megan Bozkurt of Paphiopedium venustum on the last page of
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN issue number 67, January 2012.
Is this the same plant?
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Hilary, I should make it clear that the Paphiopedilum genus as a whole are known as Venus slipper orchids. There are 80 accepted taxa in the genus with Paphiopedilum insigne being the type species. I looked up the drawing you mentioned in TMG 67 of Paphiopedilum venustum (a printing error missed the l out of the genus name). The species name was apparently given to it due to the beauty of its flower. The Paphiopedilum that I have is not this particular plant and is, I believe, a hybrid. Possibly one of the 'Miya' hybrids produced by T Ozawa about whom I can find very little information.
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I was reminded recently that I had not posted on this thread for quite a long time, and this return may not feature one of the most spectacular of plants. Beta vulgaris the common beetroot may not be one of the first vegetables to spring to mind when discussing mediterranean gardening. However, it has been cultivated for many hundreds of years and was in fact included in the offerings made to the god Apollo at his temple in Delphi.
Possibly equally hard to believe is that it was once thought to have aphrodisiac qualities. The juices being used as an ingredient in love potions. One folkloric tradition states that two people who eat from the same beetroot will fall in love. You have been warned! 8)
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Hilary's latest post on Wild flowers of Greece on postage stamps, under Miscellaneous, features Laurus nobilis. Here in Cyprus the plant is known as Daphne.
Daphne was the beautiful daughter of Peneos, a river god. For some reason she was singled out by Cupid as a recipient for one of his acts of mischief and she became the target for one of his arrows. Not, as we are accustomed to, one of his arrows of love but quite the opposite. His arsenal of ammunition was not confined to just one type of arrow, he also possessed ones made of lead that caused their target to reject all thoughts of love and vow to live a life of chastity. It was with one of these that he struck Daphne. To compound the mischief he fired a more conventional arrow at the god Apollo causing him to pursue Daphne with amorous intent. The poor girl approached her father for protection and he transformed her into a laurel tree. Even this did not quell Apollo's ardour and he declared that from thence forward he would wear a laurel wreath on his head and would decorate his lyre with laurel leaves. Prior to this his emblem had been the oak but he abandoned it and demanded that his followers do likewise. His oracle was located in a grove of laurel trees.
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The cover photo on yesterday's MGS Facebook page is of an Echium. Apparently these plants were once thought to discourage snakes. Also it seems that drinking the root in wine was considered to be effective against snake bites. A bit of a drastic way of finding an excuse to have a quick tipple to my mind! :-\
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While searching through my photos I came across this one that I took in Morocco on an MGS tour there in 2014. It stood out because it fitted in with the previous post. It's of an Echium horridum. The horridum in this context not merely meaning horrid but 'very prickly'.
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On today's Plants of the World on postage stamps Hilary has featured a variety of Anemone. I've often heard it said that anemones are named for the wind from the Greek anemos. However there seems to be little evidence to support this. Another theory is that it comes from a word of Semitic origin that referred to a lament for Adon or Naaman (Adonis) that was taken into the Greek language. As we know mythology says that Adonis was killed by a wild boar and wherever his blood fell there grew a blood-red Anemone coronaria.
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Edward Elgar referred to his anemones as "windflowers". If you think of Elgar as only a composer of patriotic marches then the whole of his violin concerto and in particular the "windflower" theme in the first movement will be a revelation to you. First a short clip discussing who "Windflower" really was. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq4YQIoXZxg. One of the all-time classic recordings of the concerto is to be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eioIa_ELIUU. No matter that the violinist was only 16 when he recorded it with the composer! The "Windflower" theme in its first form is from 6.00-7.33 min and in a more passionate form from 13-11 to 14.29. But even here the theme falls back to sad reflectiveness (recognition of the hopelessness of the situation?) before the turbulent close of the movement. How overwhelmed both the windflower and Windflower herself must have been to have inspired such music.
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Today my wife presented me with a list of seeds to order from the MGS Seed Exchange. Two of them in particular stood out, mainly due to the fact that their specific names were a little difficult to pronounce. Because of this I decided to find out how they came by them.
They were; Scilla mischtschenkoana - named for a Russian botanist, P I Misczenko (1869-1938).
and; Salvia przewalskii - in honour of Nicolai Mikhailovich Przewalski (1839-1888) a Russian explorer of Central Asia.
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I have some additional information about the word Przewalski; I had no idea it could be the name of a man as well, so I learnt something new today, John. When I was a student at the vet. school, we had to learn about horse races (not racing), and we were told that the Norwegian national horse, the fjord horse, was genetically close to the Przewalski horse ( Equus ferus przewalskii), a rare and endangered wild horse native to Mongolia. The fjord horse has some characteristic colouring: a dark stripe in the center of the mane and dark ‘grips’ on the legs, just like the wild horse, otherwise they are all dun coloured. I would never have remembered these details if it hadn’t been for that difficult name which was so difficult to pronounce.
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Have literally just come upon what are claimed to be lucky flowers based on the day of one's birth.
I was born on a Saturday and apparently I should be dark and brooding. I'm also obliged to take life very seriously and be ambitious. My flowers are dark reds and browns, heavily scented russet coloured wallflowers, bronze chrysanthemums, deep red fuschias and dark coloured dahlias.
The flowers couldn't be further from the truth, but I'll leave any comments on my personality traits to those who know me well! 8)
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John Tradescant the Elder (c 1570-1638) was a renowned gardener and plant collector. I recently came across a list of plants that he had acquired between 1629 and 1633. He had written the list in the back of his own copy of John Parkinson's book 'Paradisi in Sole Paradisus Terrestris'.
It particularly struck me as the first three plants on the list were ones that I have in my own garden today. I had not realised that the history of these plants being grown in the UK went back so far.
The plants are:
Sittissos Amarantinum (Medicago arborea).
Barba Jovis (Anthyllis barba-jovis). Tradescant was the first to grow this plant in England.
Poligolan (Coronilla valentina).
The above basically originate in the Mediterranean area. The list is quite extensive and once I have had time to study it more closely I may add other posts.
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Great something to read with a cup of tea while a gale blows outside.
So while you are on the Tradescant trail what about these two?
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Two plants that I also grow, Hilary, but the Tradescants wouldn't have. Both are from Mexico, the Tradescantia sillamontana is named for the Silla Mts in that country. It was discovered I believe by Dr Eizi Matuda, probably in the early part of the 20th C. The Tradescantia pallida 'Purpurea' was found and named in 1907.
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This thread has been neglected for a long time but recent postings regarding aloes brought it back to mind.
Aloes have been considered to have protective qualities in countries as far apart as the Middle East and Mexico.
In Egypt they were worn as a protective amulet.
Pilgrims leaving on the journey to Mecca would signify this by placing an aloe leaf above the door of their homes. This did the double duty of protecting the house against evil spirits in their absence.
Similarly in Mexico households would ward off evil spirits by having aloe in the home. In some areas of the country it was strung on wires with other objects such as rock salt, pictures of saints and pine nuts for extra efficacy.
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Borage when distilled as a drink was reputed to bring on forgetfullness and dispel melancholy.
Legend has it that Helen of Troy was given it by Polydamna to ease her heartache, claiming that it was "of such rare virtue that when taken steeped in wine, if wife and children, father and mother, brother and sister, and all thy dearest friends should die before thy face, then thou could'st not grieve or shed a tear for them". I think it was probably dependant on how much wine the borage was steeped in. All I can say is when you are putting back the wine this Christmas, go easy on the borage!! ???
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I don't normally post myths and legends about plants that I don't either possess or are not commonly known by readers of the Forum. This one was sparked by conversations that followed the posting today of a photo of Metrosideros excelsa by Alisdair on the MGS Facebook page. These conversations introduced another Metrosideros (polymorpha) that is endemic to the islands of Hawaii. There it is known as Ohi'a, named for the male half of young lovers Ohi'a and Lehua. He was a handsome lad who attracted the attention of Pele (a volcano goddess, not the Brazilian footballer (he belongs in a different legend!)). Anyway, he spurned her advances and in a fit of temper she turned him into a tree. Lehua was, understandably, distraught and she became a flower that was placed upon the tree. How this happened is a matter of dispute, either the other gods were responsible or Pele did it in an act of remorse. However it came about it is claimed that to pick a flower from the tree will result in rain, being the tears of the two separated lovers.
My apologies for a somewhat sad tale on the Eve of Christmas and I hope that wherever in the world you are reading this you are not separated from your loved ones and are enjoying all the joys of the Holiday Season.
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John, Thanks very much for that - and for posting your interesting notes in answer to Pam Rankin's query, on the facebook page. But I must correct you: much as I'd have loved to take that photo, it was actually sent by Caroline Forsyth (and I did give her credit for that, in the caption), who is establishing a mediterranean garden in the difficult conditions of an unusually dry-summer - so relatively "mediterranean" - part of New Zealand.
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Alisdair, the misunderstanding is down to my poor sentence construction. I meant that you had posted the photo on the Facebook page and didn't mean to imply that you had taken it. My apologies to both yourself and Caroline and I promise to try harder in future. :-[