Wandering in the Palms

Although she continues to gamely try my wife has long ago realized that it is difficult to take me places and show me things.  I just keep getting distracted by other things, usually off on odd tangents.

We went to the Como Park Conservatory to see the annual poinsettia display.  If you want to see pictures of festive holiday potted plants you should wander over to her site, Next Door Laura, which links from the side bar.  I did not take any.

I was at first more interested in their photography policy which is posted prominently all over the place.    In effect it says, if you are a private party go ahead and snap away.  If you are a professional photographer you need a permit.  Odd, thought I, do they really get that many pro shutterbugs in to admire the greenery?  (And this time of year, the redery?).

Why yes they do.  We saw a number of intense Pros shepherding family groupings and cute couples here and there for Christmas Card/engagement/yearbook type photos in a colorful setting.

I guess a few poinsettias did make it into that picture, but mostly I admired them briefly and wandered off to look at other plants.  There were some odd ones to be seen, and soon I started giving them alternate names.

Here is the Silk Floss Tree, which I have re-named Monkey's Bane:

And the Christmas Palm, or if you like classic Sci-Fi references, the Many Toed Triffid.

And I think you will concur that Miniature Date Palm is an inferior name compared to Snuffleupagus Neck:

Of course there were a few, such as this Bottle Palm from the Mascarene Islands, where the correct name really does not want for improvement:

But that just got me wondering about other tangential issues.  I noticed a number of really peculiar looking plants from the Mascarene Islands.  And stinging yet from my inability on Trivia Night two weeks ago to name the largest city on Sicily, I became a bit agitated that I had no clear notion of where the Mascarene Islands were or why I should know about them.

I am sure that a few of you are having similar difficulties.

Well, they are in the Indian Ocean a ways farther out than Madagascar.  They are, and even more so, were, a refuge for all manner of evolutionary sports and quirks.

And if on some upcoming Trivia Night you are called upon to know this, the Mascarene Islands most famous past inhabitant.....

The Dodo bird.

For any future Trivia points you may garner from this, you are quite welcome.