Botany Photo of the Day

How beautifully alien. It looks like something you'd see on the ocean floor, or growing in a deep dark cave.

Gorgeous photograph.

"Commonly known as bog rhubarb, devil’s hat, pestilence wort or, simply, common butterbur"

A more accurate wording would be "Commonly known as Butterbur, or very rarely as bog rhubarb, devil’s hat, pestilence wort" - Butterbur is the official standard name; the others are obsolete and very rarely used.

I was very shocked to see it was a member of asteraceae, but a closer look at the flowers led me to embrace it. Hard to believe there can be such variety amongst a family, and yet they still share some fundamental traits.

>the others are obsolete and very rarely used

How do you know? Have you been everywhere and talked to everyone? How do you know there isn't a town or a region somewhere where numbers of people are using one of these names?

"Official standard" common names is a near irrelevance having nothing to do the lay people who coin and use common names. Lists of common names that have been used, on the other hand, are a record of factual reality that can also be amusing.

How do I know? Yes, I have been everywhere in the native range of the species where English is spoken, and talked to lots of people. No-one uses anything other than the official standard name, nor will you find any other name in any textbook of significance. There are no towns or regions where anyone uses anything else.

wow, where can I get one of those?

"wow, where can I get one of those?"

Be careful what you wish for! - the flowers are nice enough (though not really all that conspicuous, the pic above is slightly magnified), but the leaves are large and coarse, and it is often considered something of a weed.

Petasites hybridus - Z4 - RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths
Petasites, pet-a-se-tes; from Gr. petasos, a broad-brimmed hat, or sunshade, in reference to the large leaves of some species. Plant Names Simplified, Johnson and Smith

Michael F,
My grandmother has always called these Devil's Hats, as does my family, based on her lead. If we are now categorized as no one from no where, and that means never encountering your brand of know-it-all snottiness, consider me thankful and blessed.

Welcome to the Internet. The comments I see posted here strongly indicate that regionalism is alive and well. While some might see this as representing parochial or unworldly attitudes, it suggests to me that the English language still has some depth. I think it also represents the power inherent in the democracy of the commons. Anyway, I find both the discussion and the information endlessly fascinating. But, as a writer and a botanist, I also appreciate the expertise (some might say pedantry) that also finds voice on the Internet.

What isn't appropriate or useful is the flaming (hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users). Some people seem to think it's acceptable to be rude when making a point. To be honest, I find such comments more offensive than any know-it-all comment that might be posted. When someone corrects my facts, I'm not the least offended. I look forward to hearing a variety of opinions, and if we all gain knowledge in the end, so much the better.

On the other hand, I know I've been misinterpreted (and offended people, too) by an off-hand correction or statement of "fact" that I've made in print. It didn't seem the least bit snarky to me, but others certainly read it that way. I'm sure that most people are offering the best information they have at hand, and not merely exercising their egos. Let's all try to use neutral language when posting comments. This about plants, not about personalities.

Thank you, Douglas, for your calm, reasonable voice.

thank you
what is in a name

i fully enjoy the link to
ultra violet-light flowers
thank you

one of my deep memories is
viewing the glass flowers at harvard
so many years ago

At first glance this plant reminded me of some kind of lace cactus, but the dried leaves at the base looked more like a bromeliad. We certainly don't have anything like this here in South Texas.

I'm going to weigh in with Ron on this.

Linnaeus developed binomial nomenclature for the exact reason that "official standard names" for common names (or "lay epithets" as one person I know refers to them) is impractical and somewhat absurd.

If I had more time at the moment, I'd go back to check; but, I'm guessing this Michael is the same one who was splitting hairs about using "after because "for" should only be used to refer to eponymous specific epithets.

Please, give it a rest and enjoy the photographs.

Petasites from Japan is very invasive and should not be promoted as a garden plant unless contained.

I don't think this was being promoted as a garden plant in either the entry or any of the comments?