Names That Make Kids Laugh - Bladdernut

As I said in the post about the Chicken Mushroom, there are certain names of organism that are guaranteed to make kids (and even some adults) break out into laughter.  One the all time champions for this is the American Bladdernut tree.

In my elementary school program about Michigan trees, one of the activities is to look at leaf samples and categorize them as needle-leafs or broad-leafs.  I can tell almost instantly when a group of students has discovered the Bladdernut.

Either one member of the group will yell out the word "Bladdernut!" and they all start giggling, or the students will begin whispering and pointing and just have to show the word to members of another group. 

So what did the poor Bladdernut do to deserve this reaction?

Don't Touch Me!

There are two related species of native wildflowers known as Touch-me-nots:  the Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis) and the Pale Touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida).  For what reason would a plant be called a touch-me-not?  If you ask a group of elementary students about the name, you will probably get a list similar to this:

• The plant is poisonous to people.
• The plant is poisonous to animals.
• The plant has thorns.
• The plant can cause an allergic reaction.
• The plant is dangerous in some other way.
• The plant is poisonous to other plants.
• The plant will die if touched.

So which of these is the true reason behind the name?  Or is it a different reason entirely?

Names That Make Kids Laugh - Chicken Mushroom

There are some names of native species that always make kids laugh:  Tufted Titmouse, Square-stemmed Monkeyflower, Squirrel Corn, the always popular Bladdernut, etc.

Another is one of the most striking fungi found in Mid-Michigan: the Chicken Mushroom.

Native Species Profile - Lizard Tail

Not many wildflowers have names that have an obvious origin to the modern person.  Mad Dog Skullcap?  Squirrel Corn?  Motherwort?  Dogbane?

Sometimes though the name of a plant is delightfully simple and obvious.  One of my favorite plants is the Lizard Tail (Saururus cernuus).

Lizard Tail

Weather - Mackerel Skies

"Mackerel scales and mare's tails

Make lofty ships carry low sails"

This is an old bit of weather folklore that refers to an unsettled appearance of the sky before incoming bad weather.  

The voices of trees

"I am the Lorax.  I speak for the trees.

I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues."

                              -Dr. Seuss (1971)

While it may be true that trees have no tongues, many trees do seem to have stories to tell. 

Native Species Profile - Cedar Waxwing

Cedar Waxwings in a buckthorn tree

 Many birds that are found in Mid-Michigan can be very difficult to identify for the average person.  They might only pass through the area for a limited time, so they are unfamiliar.  They may have plumage that varies during different parts of the year.  There many be a difference between males and females, or young birds and adults.  They may just fall into that category of "little brown birds".  Fortunately, some birds are easy to identify.  One of those species is the Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum).