Pedant notes for the Answers
- A note on the Canary Islands
-
Stephen Poley commented: Perhaps I could just stick my oar in to point out that I spent a while
reading up on this before I went to the Canary Islands last year, and
the answer seems to be: "we don't really know". It may be after the dogs
as you say, it may be after humans (the Canarii tribe), it might even be
after the birds after all, though this seems to be thought least likely.
It has also been suggested that they are named after a headland on the
African mainland.
- A note on the Chinese Gooseberries
-
Stewart Robert Hinsley pointed out that Chinese Gooseberries did originate
in China even though they are raised commercially in New Zealand. He
suggested several alternatives:
- Scilla peruviana, the
Cuban Lily, comes from neither Peru nor
Cuba, but from the Mediterranean.
- Hibiscus syriacus, the Rose of
Sharon doesn't come Syria (or Israel), but instead comes from the
orient.
- Hibiscus mutabli, the Confederate Rose, apparently comes
from Japan.
This page was last updated August 16, 2001.
|