'I'm always looking for the Hows and the Whys and the Whats,' said Muskrat, 'That is why I speak as I do. You've heard of Muskrat's Much-in-Little, of course?'
Can anyone help me identify these plants and/or trees? I met them up in that wonderful Wharepuke Tropical Garden in Kerikeri. They were numbered but some of the numbers had worn off. I copied the brochure list of species, so even if you know roughly what it is, that might be enough of a clue.
I confess that I do know what no. 5 is. I just put it in to see if you do.
One looks like a cross between a bluebonnet and wisteria, one looks like a single leaf from an African violet, one looks like a chinaberry tree or maybe what we used to call horse apples, but really I have no idea.
Needless to say the only one I know is number 5! I have blogged on it several times (on A Hebridean in New Zealand) as the food plant of the Monarch butterfly pupae.
Robert - I don't think wisteria and blue bonnets can interbreed, but a lovely idea... Those big round leaves are about two handspans across, so a bit large for an African violet, but I can see the resemblance. And Chinaberry/ horseapples... hmmm...I'll look those two up.
Geeb - You are on the nail there. I carefully cropped the giveaway chrysalis and the caterpillars out.
By "horse apple" I meant the Osage-Orange or Bois d'Arc (Bodark) tree, which (as it turns out) is not the same as the chinaberry. But you took me back to Texas there for a minute, not even counting the bluebonnets.
Not much help, but my garden has loads of number 1s - colloquially known as "elepants' feet" here but no idea of their Latin or English name, sorry ... By the way, number 3 seems to be a rubber tree but is that too obvious (i.e. if I know it, it must be easy!, as my knowledge usually goes as far as grass, tree, flower, or weed!).
Brian - WHat is Catalonian for 'Elephant's Feet' out of interest? And I think you are right about the rubber plant. There were MONSTER fruit salad plants in the gardens too. (That's a sort of joke as F.S. plants are Monstera delicosa.)
OK, :), but the best jokes are lost on those to whom you have to also explain why they are funny! i.e. me. My Latin runs to Lactarius Deliciosus, the wild mushrooms Catalans go wild about.... ... elephants' feet = potes d'elefant. Sorry, still not found their technical name.
Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant.
ReplyDeleteOne looks like a cross between a bluebonnet and wisteria, one looks like a single leaf from an African violet, one looks like a chinaberry tree or maybe what we used to call horse apples, but really I have no idea.
Needless to say the only one I know is number 5! I have blogged on it several times (on A Hebridean in New Zealand) as the food plant of the Monarch butterfly pupae.
ReplyDeleteRobert - I don't think wisteria and blue bonnets can interbreed, but a lovely idea... Those big round leaves are about two handspans across, so a bit large for an African violet, but I can see the resemblance. And Chinaberry/ horseapples... hmmm...I'll look those two up.
ReplyDeleteGeeb - You are on the nail there. I carefully cropped the giveaway chrysalis and the caterpillars out.
By "horse apple" I meant the Osage-Orange or Bois d'Arc (Bodark) tree, which (as it turns out) is not the same as the chinaberry. But you took me back to Texas there for a minute, not even counting the bluebonnets.
ReplyDeleteNot much help, but my garden has loads of number 1s - colloquially known as "elepants' feet" here but no idea of their Latin or English name, sorry ...
ReplyDeleteBy the way, number 3 seems to be a rubber tree but is that too obvious (i.e. if I know it, it must be easy!, as my knowledge usually goes as far as grass, tree, flower, or weed!).
Brian - WHat is Catalonian for 'Elephant's Feet' out of interest?
ReplyDeleteAnd I think you are right about the rubber plant. There were MONSTER fruit salad plants in the gardens too.
(That's a sort of joke as F.S. plants are Monstera delicosa.)
OK, :), but the best jokes are lost on those to whom you have to also explain why they are funny! i.e. me. My Latin runs to Lactarius Deliciosus, the wild mushrooms Catalans go wild about....
ReplyDelete... elephants' feet = potes d'elefant.
Sorry, still not found their technical name.
My father always used to say 'Never explain a joke'. He's right of course...
ReplyDeleteWild mushrooms... my mouth is watering. While in Napoli my daughter and I had a 'fugus' pizza ...it was wonderful!
Potes d'elefant. Thanks.