IAS Aroid Quasi Forum

About Aroid-L
 This is a continuously updated archive of the Aroid-L mailing list in a forum format - not an actual Forum. If you want to post, you will still need to register for the Aroid-L mailing list and send your postings by e-mail for moderation in the normal way.

  While Stearn was open..........
From: Don Burns <burns at mobot.org> on 1998.01.19 at 01:26:09(1848)
When I had Stearn off the shelf and open tonight, I tried to determine
meanings for the names Dracontium and Dracontioides. Stearn did not
have a solution for me, at least none that I could find. Both genera have
species with hooded spathes. Is this a clue?

Don

+More
From: E Charles Nelson <tippitiwitchet at zetnet.co.uk> on 1998.01.19 at 16:04:51(1852)
The message
from Don Burns contains these words:

> When I had Stearn off the shelf and open tonight, I tried to determine
> meanings for the names Dracontium and Dracontioides. Stearn did not
> have a solution for me, at least none that I could find. Both genera have
> species with hooded spathes. Is this a clue?

> Don

> Don Burns Plantation, FL USA Zone 10b

Both have as their roots the Greek draco - dragon. Dracontium is an
ancient Greek plant name used for plant coloured like a serpent or
dragon. Dracontioides signals that the plants resembles Dracontium.

Charles Nelson

+More
From: "Julius Boos" <ju-bo at email.msn.com> on 1998.01.19 at 16:08:50(1853)
>When I had Stearn off the shelf and open tonight, I tried to determine
>meanings for the names Dracontium and Dracontioides. Stearn did not
>have a solution for me, at least none that I could find. Both genera have
>species with hooded spathes. Is this a clue?
>
>Don
>
>
>Don Burns Plantation, FL USA Zone 10b
>
Dear Don,
According to notes in the new GoA and Dan Nicolison`s article in Aroideana
Vol 10, No. 3, "Derivation of Aroid Generic Names", "Dracontium" is from
both Latin and Greek, meaning Dragon or snake, refering to the markings on
the petioles, and " Dracontioides" is from Dracontium + "-oides",
"resembling Dracontium".
The word "naviculus" probably refers to the boat-shaped spathe, but wait to
hear from Tom or someone better at latin names than I!
Cheers,
Julius
+More
Note: this is a very old post, so no reply function is available.