In a prior post, which I have deliberately left attached below, I speculated that there might be a Tulipa orithyia. I knew there was something familiar about that name: Orithyea (sic) is an old generic epithet for some tulips - apparently the tulips (or tulip-like plants) we now know as Amana. Amana edulis, illustrated in Rix & Phillips, looks superficially like Jane's tulip. Now can someone verify the correct spelling? Is it Orithyea, Orithyia, orithyioides, orithyeoides or (I hope no one really did this) orithyeioides? Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net Montgomery County, Maryland zone 7, where a light sprinkle this morning has caused the earth itself to release its scent: spring is here! At 11:19 AM 3/2/2004 -0500, you wrote: > >Mark McDonough wrote: > >>Curious to learn what the epithet "orithyioides" indicates, the only thing I >>could find is a bit of greek mythology: "Orithia (or Oreithyia) was a >daughter >>of the Amazon Queen Marpesia. > >I have not checked out Vvedensky's notes, but here's my guess: > > >The form of the word, orithyi + oides, suggests that it is named for or >being compared to something else: is there, for instance, a Tulipa >orithyia? If so, then orithyioides indicates a similarity to that putative >species. > >Incidentally, the spelling of the word is unorthodox: four separately >pronounced vowel sounds in a row (y, i, o, i; remember, oi in Latin does >not equal oi in English ) is very peculiar. A more traditional orthodox >spelling would be orithyjoides, where the j represents not the sound of the >English j but the "consonental i sound" (like j in German). > >But don't forget that botanists don't have to follow traditional grammar - >they have their own rules. > >In addition to the great story Mark told about the name, I can add a bit >more (but nothing to equal Amazon Queens): the name orithyia looks like it >comes from the words for mountain and a resinous tree, juniper or cedar for >instance. That's an apt name for someone who shows resliiance and >determination. > >Here's a sort of mnemonic: the part of the name which refers to the cedar >is thyia. Most of you know this as Thuja. Greek upsilon is sometimes given >as u and sometimes given as y. For an explanation of the j, see above. If >you pronounce Thuja as thoo-ya, this might make more sense. > >Jim McKenney >jimmckenney@starpower.net >Montgomery County, Maryland zone 7 where we had light rain this morning and >are now enjouing temperatures above 60 degrees F. > > > > > > >At 10:53 PM 3/1/2004 EST, you wrote: >>The two photos recently posted to the Pacific Bulb Society - Tulipa page are >>terrific. I have comments on each. The photos are located at: >>http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/… >> >>The photo by Jane McGary of Tulipa orithyioides Vved. has me intrigued. The >>plant looks akin to T. polypetala, with white flowers, yellow center, and >>backs of outer tepals an olive color suffused mauve-ish. But the >similarity ends >>there as surely the stiffly upright foliage and more starry flowers render a >>distinctive look apart from polychroma. Based on an IPNI search, I come up >>with the spelling "orithyioides" for the species. It's hard to tell from >the >>photo, but I must ask; Jane, are the stems multiflowered? If so, perhaps >it's in >>the Biflores section similar to T. polychroma. Also, are the flowers >>scented? T. polychroma is heavenly perfumed. >> >>Curious to learn what the epithet "orithyioides" indicates, the only thing I >>could find is a bit of greek mythology: "Orithia (or Oreithyia) was a >daughter >>of the Amazon Queen Marpesia. When her mother was killed by Asian >barbarians, >>her mother's position fell to her. She forged an alliance with Sagillus, >King >>of Scythia, who sent his son with an army to help Orithia avenge her >mother's >>death." Is there a relation between this and the species name? >> >>Dave Brastow posted a gorgeous photo of Tulipa pulchella var humilis... >>thanks Dave! The naming of this species is contentious, most often seen >the way >>Dave labeled it. I think today it is recognized as T. pulchella (Fenzl at >>Regel) Baker. But horticulturally, there are two distinct forms, one with >blue to >>black centers, and another with yellow centers. I believe these are >analogous >>to Hoog & Dix's Tulipa humilis 'Violacea Black Base" and T. humilis >"Violacea >>Yellow Base" respectively, but I'm just guessing. Anyone care to attempt >>clarifying the naming of the tulips in the "humilis" alliance? >> >> >>Mark McDonough Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States >>antennaria@aol.com "New England" USDA Zone 5 >>============================================== >>>> web site under construction - http://www.plantbuzz.com/ << >>alliums, bulbs, penstemons, hardy hibiscus, western >>american alpines, iris, plants of all types! >>_______________________________________________ >>pbs mailing list >>pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >>http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >> > >_______________________________________________ >pbs mailing list >pbs@lists.ibiblio.org >http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php >