[pbs] early Spring bulbs, California

Jim McKenney jimmckenney at jimmckenney.com
Mon Jun 11 20:23:12 EDT 2007


A white-flowered form of Dodecatheon meadia grew in my Maryland garden for
years and then disappeared last year. The underground parts of this plant
reminded me of those of Eremurus on a miniscule scale. 

I don't think Dodecatheon grow naturally in this immediate area, but many
years ago I was taken to a site about forty miles from here where the
Dodecatheon and a number of other plants make their closest appearance.
Among others we saw Delphinium tricorne and the eastern Thuja - the latter
on limestone outcrops only as I recall. 

The friend who showed me this site was a good field botanist, but had never
impressed me much on botanical names. But he caught me that day. When we
spotted the Dodecatheon, I blurted out Dodecatheon meadia - and pronounced
meadia as a four syllable word. My friend looked at me and asked why I was
pronouncing it that way. I fessed up and admitted that I really didn't know
what meadia meant, but if it was Latin it would be four syllables. My friend
then pointed out that it was named for someone named Mead (as I learned
later, Meadia was a genus authored by Catesby in honor of one Dr. Richard
Mead - the name was later adopted by Linnaeus as a specific epithet).	

It's been three syllables ever since! 

Jim McKenney
jimmckenney at jimmckenney.com
Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where Zephyranthes
grandiflora should open tomorrow. 

My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com
 
Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS 
Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org 
 
Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org
 
 
 
 
 
 



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