Comments on: Richweed

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 23:45:45 +0000

Last summer was our purgatory with Verizon. In the end, they did replace our router box for free, but it took a three-way call with my geek cousin in New Jersey to finally effectively troubleshoot the problem and bully the clueless tech support person in Pakistan into connecting us to someone who could help. So, my sympathies.

By: arby

arby — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:00:59 +0000

Thanks for the dial-up link, the Phoneco promises my dial-up hell, or at least heck, will end this week. I will be able to waste time at a much faster clip. Not your blog, of course, that’s never a waste of time. rb

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:14:43 +0000

Well, I feel that since the Latin name is the sole source of authority, we should be free to use whichever common names we like best. Since I've never called Pilea pulia anything but "clearweed," I'm free to call Collinsonia canadensis "richweed," the way I see it. Besides, who am I to argue with the USDA PLANTS database? You can't get close enough quick enough with a tripod for these kinds of shots. At least, not the $20 tripod I have.

By: quiet regular

quiet regular — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:43:25 +0000

what? you’re not willing to trek around the mountain with your tripod fully extended?

I concur with Rebecca on that common name…richweed has always meant Pilea pumila to me, also known as clearweed (I like that one best) a smooth, almost transparent nettle family member.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:13:47 +0000

Thanks for the kind words, y’all. R.L., I always like hearing that I’m giving people an excuse to slack off!

Rebecca – Thanks for the correction! I thought of sending it to you first, but I was awfully sure it must be some kind of assasin bug (and figured if I was wrong you’d let me know). At least I got the order right. :) Nice to hear I’m not the only one who’s confused. Might explain why it didn’t seem especially predatory, then, eh?

By: Rebecca Clayton

Rebecca Clayton — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:57:08 +0000

Horsebalm is what I learned to call it, but evidently that name is used for several other plants as well. So is Richweed: I discovered last summer that it’s a name for Pilea pumila.

http://pocahontascofare.blogspot.com/2007/09/pilea-pumila.html

Your assassin bug is a coreid, or squash bug. I’m not sure which one; the shadows of his legs suggest he’s one of the leaf-footed bugs, with hind tibia flattened and ornamented into leaf-like shapes. He looks like Leptoglossus, although that genus is more common farther south of you-all.

Coreid and reduviid nymphs have similar “aspect,” and people confuse them all the time, especially when they’re small.

Harvestwomen. Very nice indeed.

By: R.L. Bourges

R.L. Bourges — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:04:51 +0000

all the photographs are lovely but my favorite is the one (final, is it?) with the cicada wing on the leaf.
This was the perfect afternoon break from translating for me. Thanks, Dave. best from Graulhet.

By: ..deb

..deb — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:38:57 +0000

Lovely images and story.

By: marja-leena

marja-leena — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:03:36 +0000

As Dale said, and great slide show! I love the cobweb the most.

By: dale

dale — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:32:12 +0000

Great post.