Thursday, August 14, 2014

a Turtle by any other name is still as neat

I was visiting my in-laws today and happened to look at a wildlife calendar they have on their fridge. Oh neat, a green sea turtle. I like sea turtles. The caption said the scientific name for the turtle was Chelonia mydas.

hi

Wait, Chelonia? The scientific name for turtle is Chelonia? Gee, that sure is an awful lot like....

...Chelone!
Chelone lyonii

Now it makes perfect sense why the scientific name for Turtlehead is Chelone! I love it when these kinds of connections are made!

  

Incidentally, I have always mixed up the scientific names for Turtlehead (Chelone) and Spider Flower (Chleome). I don't know why. Probably the same reason why I always read "uniformed" as "uninformed," and for years thought that Morden Sunrise Rose was Modern Sunrise Rose.

But now I'll always remember the right name because I learned the name for turtle!

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