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+--- Thread: f29r (/thread-2362.html)
f29r - Koen G - 04-04-2018
I vaguely recall having discussed this plant somewhere before, but I wasn't able to find anything on the forum, so here goes. I'll start with an image of the full plant for reference:
This plant's leaves have always reminded me of some kind of cloth that was stitched together, kind of like billowing sails. Allow me to rotate a section:
I was reminded of this plant while studying You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. from Sicily. What first drew my attention was the "bull" being loaded onto the ship, but that's a different story.
No, the reason why it made me think of this plant was the arrangement of the ropes above the sails. This is something which can be observed in general ship imagery, so definitely not special - this is just a good illustration.
I figured this would make the case strong enough to share - any ID's?
RE: f29r - -JKP- - 05-04-2018
Did you notice the "r" (possibly for "rot") in the root? I don't know if it has been pointed out by others, but it's quite clearly written even though it's very small.
I've suggested the plant might be Equisetum (I seem to be the only one who thinks this might be Equisetum). There are two forms of Equisetum—one with branched tops and one with a single stalk. The VMS also has one with a branched top and one with a single stalk. The single row of stem-whorl leaves might be a simplification and it might be drawn that way to mimic horse-tails (the common name for the plant). Equisetum has that scaly texture at the top of the stalk and some species have a reddish end. I'm not 100% confident about the ID, but I do think it should be considered.
Equisetum is a wetland plant. It grows at the edges of streams and ditches but there is also an efluvial species Equisetum fluviatile, that grows where the river empties out into marine waters.
Equisetum is sometimes called scouring rush because it contains silica and is used to clean pots. I wouldn't be surprised if sailors picked it along the way when making shore stops.
I like the parallels to the shapes that you posted.
RE: f29r - Koen G - 05-04-2018
I can see how you get to equisetum, and the plant does kind of resemble a mast. Especially, some masts like the one in the picture have a sectioned look, just like the plant.
I guess the main objection must be the volume of the leaves, but it seems clear that these are mnemonically enhanced.
Equisetum is also used to polish wood, which might be another link to ships?
The r might be for rot, which would point to the Scandinavian word for root rather than the color it seems. Though Latin languages also have words for root with r, from radix.
RE: f29r - -JKP- - 07-04-2018
Usually I have several alternates for plant IDs, since the drawings are not expert, but for this one, it's difficult to find alternatives to Equisetum.
It's not hard to find that scaly top. There are many plants with spathes that have flower spikes (spadixes) like this if you peel away the outer "petal". But finding one with this kind of flower-head combined with stem-whorl-leaves is a bit of a challenge.
There is one called Amorphophallus arcuspadix that grows in Thailand with the right kind of spadex and leaves:
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But Amorphophallus arcuspadix does not come in two varieties (nor do the other spathe-and-spadix plants). It doesn't have branched and unbranched fruiting spikes, whereas Equisetum does have branched and unbranched forms similar to plant You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. . If the leaves of You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. are mnemonic for ducks, then it fits quite well, as Equisetum is very much a stream and pond-loving plant. And if the leaves of 29r are meant to be horses' tails, then it fits the name of the plant.
In the fall, when the seedheads start to turn brown and seedy, Equisetum spikes sometimes droop.
RE: f29r - Koen G - 07-04-2018
I must say I didn't know Equisetum before, but they are cool plants. Apparently some living fossil kind of situation, those are always fascinating.
As for the roots, I'm almost certain that they are symbolic in some way. I used to think some kind of weaving or other technique of fabric making, until I saw the ropes on ships' masts.