| |
Content of a
Plant Biography
THE PRIMARY ENTRY appears under the plant's scientific/botanical name
and can range from little more than a single common name for a particular
species to a far longer text containing a brief description, many common
names, and a large amount of general information.
1. Terminology
Other than the botanical/scientific name all information is in plain language.
One or two points might be worth mentioning as an indication of the often unappreciated
confusion (unappreciated by us non-botanists) which can arise from the wording
in botanical texts in books on the general market – aside from any lack
of knowledge of terminology on the part of the reader. Those of us who are non-professionals
in the plant world view :-
Weeds in the Wild
as any plant not specifically cultivated in a field or garden. One definition
of a weed is a plant growing in the wrong place and most of our popular cultivated
plant species began life as (and still may be) weeds for somebody.
On the other hand ‘wild’ for botanists means plant species growing
naturally in their native habitat. These do not embrace what are known to professionals
as ‘garden’ or ‘cultivated escapes’ (alien plant species
which have managed to disperse themselves and are not native to that region/area),
or naturalized species (those which have been introduced to a region/area by
the wind, currents, birds, animals, man, etc., and have adapted to their surroundings
to the point where they do not need help from man). Although we, the general
public, might know no better and look upon both of these examples as ‘wild’ (since
that is where they are growing), botanical specialists would be horrified at
such thoughts and would either refer to the specimens as ‘garden escapes’ or ‘naturalized
species’.
Herbs
as those plants used traditionally by us as culinary flavouring or, increasingly
today, for medicinal purposes.
Botanically however ‘herbs’ embraces all plants which have no woody
stems above ground and which die back at the end of their growing period.
Both terms ‘weed’ and‘herb’ will rarely be found in these
Entries not least because the words might preclude further curiosity for some
readers and, in any event, can vary in meaning in everyday language from country
to country and for the individual reader.
Leaf or Leaflet :
are two other words which we as laymen tend to skate over.
A botanist will refer, for example, to a pinnate leaf which consists of leaflets.
For the layman however the leaflet IS the leaf – and there are even occasions
when botanists themselves will debate whether a leaf is just that or is actually
a leaflet.
Finally while on the subject of terminology it should be mentioned that
Herbalist
as used in Plant Biographies covers a broad church (established over
centuries) ranging from local domestic practice, witch doctors, and apothecaries
to qualified practitioners of alternative medicine and doctors who conform to
Western medicinal doctrine.
2. Botanical Names
A brief explanation of the botanical name might be helpful. Under the Linnaean
classification families of plants are divided into genera (plural) and each genus
(singular) will contain one or more species of plant. An example from the Biographies
illustrates the presentation of a genus and two of its species (singular and
plural respectively) :
‘Achillea Asteraceae
[Compositae]
Achillea is for some authorities named after ......................
Achillea ageratum
[Synonyms : Achillea decolorans, Achillea serrata, Balsamita
faemina]
SWEET MILFOIL is a perennial. Native to southern Europe ...................... to
be used in local folk medicine in southern Europe.
Achillea filipendulina
[Synonyms : Achillea eupatorium, Achillea filicifolia, Tanacetum
angulatum]
FERN-LEAF YARROW is an evergreen perennial. Native from western to central Asia
it has ...................... if dried before they begin to
fade.)’
· Achillea is the name
of the genus.
· Asteraceae is a modern
family name.
· Compositae [bracketed]
is a previous family name.
· ageratum, and filipendulina are
the epithets of particular species in that genus.
· In the case of Achillea
ageratum, the bracketed Achillea decolorans, Achillea serrata, Balsamita
faemina are all synonyms for Achillea ageratum. Similarly Achillea
eupatorium, Achillea filicifolia, Tanacetum angulatum are
all synonyms for Achillea filipendulina.
· Achillea ageratum and Achillea
filipendulina are usually referred to as the scientific (or botanical) names
of the species.
3. Information
Order
An explanation of the genus name is provided when possible.
In some cases differences of opinion on derivation offered by various authorities
are given. Other information relevant to that genus as a whole may also be presented.
(It should be noted that all the species in that genus have not necessarily
been researched and included.)
Additional scientific/botanical names ie. synonyms, have
been collected as they emerge during research. These synonyms include incorrect
spellings as well as additional scientific names which have been used for the
plant. Incorrect spellings aside there can be several reasons for the existence
of synonyms – and, one might add, the actual or seeming application of
a scientific name to more than one plant.
The botanical name of an individual species (and any synonyms) is immediately
followed by a common name (which may not be the one by
which you know it, but it is used consistently in this text), reference to the region
of origin, and a descriptive term for the
plant eg. tree, shrub, perennial, cactus, fern, etc. This is supported by
a minimal description eg. large green leaves and crimson-centred, white to sulphur-yellow
flowers.
The next paragraph lists any other common names by which
the plant can be known, very many in languages other than English and it will
be appreciated that this list can never be considered to be exhaustive. Many
of the English names can be more common in Britain, or in North America, or in
localized areas of English-speaking countries, but these are not normally distinguished
from other English names as the dominance of use would often be debatable. Foreign
names appear in italics and each one is followed in brackets by the language
or the name of the country/nationality/area where or by whom it is used. Additionally
in Europe and North America particularly some plants have, for some people, come
to symbolize a variety of human attributes, states of life or events and these
are sometimes listed as well. (They are picked up as they emerge during research
and the list, as a result, can sometimes appear to be incredibly contradictory – see Rosa.)
The harvesting and preserving of plants is described
in many entries provided the methods are known to be current. This is not only
of interest for culinary, medicinal or commercial purposes but also when the
methods are unusual.
The warnings noted are meant to be just that. [Precise
information can be sought from technical or academic sources.] There are some
plants which are lethal to man and/or beast. Most of us are aware of one or two
which might create problems of one kind or another but it would probably be reasonable
to suggest that we are blissfully ignorant of most of them. The majority of warnings
in these entries describe or refer to what ‘can’ happen not what ‘will’ happen
if the plant is handled or ingested. Some warnings will have been passed down
from generation to generation without recorded proof, others will have been confirmed
in the West by scientific analysis. Tolerance of or reaction to a plant’s
chemical(s) can sometimes vary dramatically from person to person (especially
if allergies are involved) or between an adult and a child (not least because
of the difference in their size and maturity). In addition, the plant’s
own chemicals can sometimes alter in strength significantly from one local area
to the next, let alone change under regional, seasonal or climatic conditions – see
black nightshade (Solanum nigrum) . The word poison ie. toxin (which
sounds even more formidable) can apply to reactions ranging from ‘a mild
transient itch' or ‘temporary skin discoloration’ to ‘permanent
disability’ or 'death'. The individual cases normally make this clear.
Some plants are likely to offer danger only if used to an unbelievable excess.
[Who could imagine why anybody would wish go to the trouble of collecting apple
pips sufficient in quantity to be a danger to swallow or that, having collected
them, they would then want or could manage to consume the large number required.]
But the entries do illustrate that if you, like me, are not a plant specialist,
it may not be wise to try out something picked from the hedgerow (or even your
own garden if you did not plant it yourself) for, say, a herbal tea, flavouring,
vegetable, fruit or medicine without an expert's advice – as identifying
the right species is not as straightforward as it would sometimes appear. The
warnings also indicate that herbal food recipes and medicinal remedies should
be treated with as much respect as say Western medicine prescribed by a qualified
practitioner. I suspect that although some of the warnings will be unexpected
it is unlikely that awareness of them will alter many of our habits materially.
For example, for those who have long cooked rhubarb and discarded the leaves
without thought, the entry on Garden rhubarb (Rheum x hybridum)
could come as quite a surprise.
Greater interest in wild plants is leading to a curiosity about gathering them
from the wild for food. Many suitable benign plants are included and are of particular
importance in this context as their appearance can sometimes be confused with
that of harmful ones. As these confusions have emerged
during research they have been included in the appropriate entry(ies).
Mention has already been made of conservation. Most of
us are aware that some plants are protected under Preservation Orders – but
which ones if we are to attempt to avoid harming them through ignorance? Some
information on this is provided. Any information on the location of such plants
is omitted.
Explanations of both the species and common
name(s) follow. That for the species name is provided when possible
and may even offer alternatives which are open to debate. Explanations of common
names tend to be included only when they may be of especial interest.
Finally, and for me the most interesting part of any entry – the general
information which accounts for two thirds of the project. This ranges
across mythology, history, social behaviour, custom, environmental impact, economics,
art, design, literature and poetry, music, songs, dance, witchcraft, symbolism,
culinary practice, medicine, mining, transport, engineering, architecture,
chemicals, religion, emblems, superstition, materials, dentistry, hairdressing,
genetics, perfumes, musical instruments, treaties, archaeology, etc. (See the
'Subjects Covered' documents in 'What is Plant Biographies' on this
website or the Summary preceding the General Index on the CD.) Authors have
paid many of us a compliment in their belief that we will recall or know more
than we actually do about people or tribes, places and events connected with
a plant eg. Benjamin Franklin, Dioscorides, the Henganofi, the California Gold
Rush, the Camargue in France, and make passing references to these. In this project
I have taken the liberty of qualifying them, when information is known, as it
helps to draw a clearer picture of the plant's role.
|
|
