Anyone know why the genus name Cotyledon is feminine - e.g. Cotyledon undulata, but Tylecodon (its anagram) is masculine - e.g. Tylecodon paniculatus?Mr Tylecodon, Ms Cotyledon?
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Lindsey
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Mr Tylecodon, Ms Cotyledon?
Anyone know why the genus name Cotyledon is feminine - e.g. Cotyledon undulata, but Tylecodon (its anagram) is masculine - e.g. Tylecodon paniculatus?Ever hopeful, trying to grow plants from arid sunny climates in the UK!
Lithops, Haworthia, Adromischus, other south African succulents including Ceropegia and some Crassula.
Lithops, Haworthia, Adromischus, other south African succulents including Ceropegia and some Crassula.
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iann
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Re: Mr Tylecodon, Ms Cotyledon?
Cotyledon is a real greek word. Its feminine and that's just the way it is. Not a common ending, its a third declension form, irregular if you like although there is some rhyme and reason to it.
Tylecodon is not a real word. It is made up and I suppose can be anything the maker-upper wants.
Tylecodon is not a real word. It is made up and I suppose can be anything the maker-upper wants.
Cheshire, UK
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Lindsey
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Re: Mr Tylecodon, Ms Cotyledon?
iann Wrote:
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> Tylecodon is not a real word. It is made up and I
> suppose can be anything the maker-upper wants
... and I think the "tyle" bit means "lump".
So if a genus name is not a real word, the person who publishes (proposes) it can choose its gender, I think that is what you are saying.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tylecodon is not a real word. It is made up and I
> suppose can be anything the maker-upper wants
... and I think the "tyle" bit means "lump".
So if a genus name is not a real word, the person who publishes (proposes) it can choose its gender, I think that is what you are saying.
Ever hopeful, trying to grow plants from arid sunny climates in the UK!
Lithops, Haworthia, Adromischus, other south African succulents including Ceropegia and some Crassula.
Lithops, Haworthia, Adromischus, other south African succulents including Ceropegia and some Crassula.
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iann
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Re: Mr Tylecodon, Ms Cotyledon?
There are "tyle-" words derived from the greek word "tulos" meaning lump, but it would be a stretch to get from that to Tylecodon. I've never seen anyone refer to it as anything other than an anagram.
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Apicra
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Re: Mr Tylecodon, Ms Cotyledon?
In matters of naming plants in Latin, Stearn's "Botanical Latin" is of course the bible and Toelken probably referred to it. There were other Latin experts working at the Pretoria herbarium that he might have consulted, perhaps over a cup in their staff room!
When Toelken first published Tylecodon in 1978, all he said was: "The name Tylecodon is an anagram of Cotyledon". He then goes on to publish new species name combinations which make it clear that he had made the noun Tylecodon masculine e.g. Tylecodon buchholtzianus syn. Cotyledon buchholtziana. Stearn advises that the gender of nouns can be arbitary.
Well, I never knew about "tylo-" (not "tyle") which apparently means "with knobs, lumps or projections" in Greek, a very apt description of the species with phyllopodia e.g. T. wallichii. Perhaps Toelken toyed with Tylocedon and Tylecodon, and decided the latter sounded better?
I did hear a rumour that Gordon Rowley suggested this name, but there is nothiing in writing to support this, unless someone asks him?
Best wishes,
Derek Tribble
When Toelken first published Tylecodon in 1978, all he said was: "The name Tylecodon is an anagram of Cotyledon". He then goes on to publish new species name combinations which make it clear that he had made the noun Tylecodon masculine e.g. Tylecodon buchholtzianus syn. Cotyledon buchholtziana. Stearn advises that the gender of nouns can be arbitary.
Well, I never knew about "tylo-" (not "tyle") which apparently means "with knobs, lumps or projections" in Greek, a very apt description of the species with phyllopodia e.g. T. wallichii. Perhaps Toelken toyed with Tylocedon and Tylecodon, and decided the latter sounded better?
I did hear a rumour that Gordon Rowley suggested this name, but there is nothiing in writing to support this, unless someone asks him?
Best wishes,
Derek Tribble