eek!! Scorpiurus vermiculatis!

Boys have been having fun for hundreds of years trying to scare the girls with these fake caterpillars.

Who could resist?  This is a fantastic seed capsule!!




From all the photos I have looked at of the different species I see that the trick is to get the pod at just the right time...which seems to be  before it is mature.

The above herbarium specimen fromhttp://linnean-online.org/8698/

Nice link: http://azalas.de/blog/?page_id=825

Article to the right: The Vegetable Garden: Illustrations, Descriptions, and Culture of the Garden Vegetables of Cold and Temperate Climates,  J. Murray, 1885

Gardening for Fun In these days, when so great effort is being expended to to do away with worms and their kind, it seems strange that anyone should grow plants for the sole reason that their pods resemble worms and snails; yet such plants are grown, and the resemblance is great, as the accompanying engraving will testify. This is not an attractive dish, I fancy, to most of us, but I grew its contents in imitation of French gardeners. These plants are grown for no other reason than that they are curious, and for the inimitable pleasure of dropping them into your wife's soup, or laying them beside her plate at dinner time! At least, these are the only uses yet recorded for them. But they are interesting plants,nevertheless. They set a-going a whole series of speculations as to how and why these pods ever came to imitate crawling things so closely. It would be interesting to know if birds mistake them for worms, and thereby scatter the seeds, or if the quirls and wrinkles are only so many means of catching hold of passing animals. These plants are of several kinds, all belonging to the pea family. Three kinds are shown in the accompanying cupful. The round, snail-like specimens are Medicago  scutellata, and they are technically known as Snails. The larger and fatter worms are Scorpiurus vermiculutus, and the small, slender ones, which have crawled to the top of the cup, are Scorpiurus subvillosus: these two are appropriately called Caterpillars or Worms.— Liberty Hyde Bailey,   from American Gardening, 1892 Above: from Dobies of Devon "Scorpiurus muricatus Seeds - Curly Whirly" This great photo below is from http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpiurus_muricatus

Scorpiurus muricatus is Scorpiurus  subvillosus.  

I found Smart Seeds on Etsy sells these seeds for around $3.00.  A highly color edited photo there makes them neon purple!

Nice link: http://azalas.de/herbar/Fabaceae.htm  Great Medicago photos....

Medicago orbicularis, perhaps?

Found it!  At least I found "the Snail".  It was known in England so I think it probably is the most likely candidate.  Commonly called the round-fruited medick, it is found all around the Mediterranean.  It is a nitrogen fixing pea clover.   (See yesterday's post.)

 Medicago orbicularis.  Lovely.

Photo by Franz Neidl, from interesting discussion 

in the forum at http://www.photomacrography.net/

The plant has migrated around the globe, with this specimen from a field in Texas.

Now, it could have been the Snail Medick,  Medicago scutellata, (see below) but that plant isn't as "snail-ish" to my eye!  Who ever saw a hairy snail?

Next, the hunt for the Caterpillar plant that was sold with the Snails!  I want to grow Snails, I wonder if J. L. Hudson has the seeds?  Later - Nope, they don't.

I did find a page with great photo documentation of the plant, however, and they do sell seeds...but they are around 15 EU....more than I would want to pay.  Great photos though!

Turner Seeds, Texas, has it...in bushels I think.  In modern trade it is used for land reclamation as it is a nitrogen fixing legume.  It is also commonly called Button Clover nowadays.  

Perhaps Ebay is where to look as the plant is a common "weed" anyone could gather seed from.  In Malta it is within the laws to sell it...and in Texas it is legal.  It sounds like a seed that is in the trade in many places. New South Wales in Australia promotes its use in  pastures.

Well, I checked out Ebay and found nothing.  But somehow I bumped into a set of buttons (button clover search) that I just had to buy!!  They are charming, made from mother of pearl in a crude flower shape. :-) I think they could make a nice necklace, or pin, or...buttons! 

Rouncival, Not Runcible

The following flower mystery is from Benjamin Townsend's book:  

The Complete Seedsman: Shewing, the Best and Easiest Method for Raising and Cultivating Every Sort of Seed Belonging to a Kitchen and Flower-garden. With Necessary Instructions for Sowing of Berries, Mast, and Seeds of Evergreens, Forest-trees, and Such as are Proper for Improving of Land. Written at the Command of a Person of Honour, Volume 1

Read this flower seed list from 1726 England.  I recognize most. The older form of the modern common name is often close enough to make it known. Holly Oak is fascinating...and a few uses of the "f" for the "s" makes for amusing looking words.

But what the heck are Horns and Hedgehogs, Bottles of All Colors and Snails and Caterpillars?!

I am not going to look them up tonight as I am too amused by just imagining what they might be.

Horns and Hedgehogs, as well as Snails and Caterpillars are pairs of different plants grown together for the amusement value.

The descriptions in this catalog are below.  Not that they help much.

Children would still be fascinated by these.  Take note, seed companies! :-)

By the way, if you read the catalog you might like to know the following.  Me, I don't remember ever hearing the word rouncival.  Edward Lear's runcible spoon, yes...but not rouncival.

Rouncival

Large, of gigantic size. Certain large bones of antediluvian animals were at one time said to be the bones of the heroes who fell with Roland in Roncesvalles. “Rounceval peas” are those large peas called “marrowfats,”

ah.....spring's new beginnings

Lucky Seeds

I was home sick when St. Patty's Day rolled around this year, missing all the fun at school!


Forgot all about posting these seed packets but I don't want to wait til next year...

.  

1882 - The Painted Lady and the Scarlet Invincible - Sweet Peas

The names sound more like good old mystery titles; the ones with "guys and dames", if you know what I am talking about :-)

The article below is from Vick's Monthly Magazine, 1882. It gives a nice overview of the Sweet Pea in more practical terms than the previous post.  

The illustration is from the magazine.  It is used in the article to illustrate the different varieties. A very large image is at the end of the post.  I have added the detail cropped images next to their descriptions.

SWEET PEAS.

The Sweet Pea presents a charming individuality that wins and holds our admiration. Every curve in its peculiar form is graceful and its colors are bright, or soft, and contrasting. Besides, it is one of those flowers that "from the voluptuous June catch their perfumings." 

The petals of the Sweet Pea, which are five in number, and from their peculiar arrangement have received different names, are grouped into two pairs with the odd one standing somewhat erect back of them. The lower pair is called the keel, while the petals enclosing them are the wings, and the uppermost petal is called the banner. 

In the colored plate the center flower is known as Scarlet.

In this it may be noticed that the petals forming the keel are white, the wings rose-colored, and the banner scarlet. 

At the right of this center flower is one with white keel and very dark crimson wings and banner, this variety in the trade is called Black. >>

<<Directly underneath the last mentioned one is what is known as Blue Edged.

 

Above the center flower, Scarlet, is one with white keel and white wings and a rose colored banner, this is Painted Lady.>>

 <<At the upper left-hand corner of the group is Scarlet Invincible, having a white keel and scarlet wings and banner.

Sow the seed as early as possible in the spring, about four inches deep, in good, rich, mellow soil. One way of sowing them, and a very good one, is to mark out a circle two feet in diameter, four inches deep, and sow the Peas around, about an inch apart. A stake about five feet high should stand at the center; just inside the circumference place a barrel hoop and peg it down to the ground, and attach strings to it about three inches apart all around, fastening them also at the top of the stake. On these strings the stems will climb by means of their tendrils, arranging themselves in a form, that of a cone, most advantageous to display their beautiful blooms. 

One of our engravings shows a portion of a hedge supported by sticks. We have made the hedge thin, so as to show how the sticks are placed, but naturally they are almost, or entirely, concealed. 

The other is a clump or group supported by a stake or two in the center.

Another course often pursued is to sow the seed in straight lines, supporting the stems either with strings or brush, thus forming a sort of hedge. 

Mulching the ground with some light litter when the season becomes advanced has the effect to keep the soil cool, which is a most favorable condition for this plant. Cutting the flowers, and thus preventing the seed to form, has a tendency to keep the plants long in a blooming state.


Sweet Peas as cut flowers, odorous and variously colored and tinted, are of the highest value for bouquets, vases, and many other purposes.

 

Sweet Pea Packets and a Buckbee Postcard

 

 

 

 

This is interesting.  A printer's proof sheet for seed packet art! Nice art work, too.