Day 225: Wild Ginger is one of my favourite native plants, and a few years ago, I was delighted to discover a substantial population on the undeveloped property immediately adjacent to mine. I successfully transplanted a couple to a similar habitat in my yard, and they are beginning to spread. However, they're not yet in bloom, so I hopped the fence to find an open flower which, I'm sure you'll agree, has a very interesting shape. The long filaments at the tips of the petals are recognized in the plant's Latin name, Asarum caudatum. "Caudatum" means "having a tail." One unvarying question crops up whenever I mention the English name: "Is it edible?" I try to be patient with the people who ask, but I find it extremely annoying. We are adults here, not babies. Why should we want to put everything in our mouths? Can we not appreciate something for its beauty, for its rarity, for its uniqueness without wanting to turn it into food? Perhaps we're not so far removed from primitive Homo as we like to imagine ourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment