The Brothers Boutelou and the Grass They Barely Knew: A
Journey into Botany, History, Exploration, and Two Remarkable Men
Speaker: Debbie
DeWolf Allen.
Botanical
names can be challenging to pronounce and to spell, yet they hold a
treasure trove of meaning. Latin plant names often describe a
distinctive characteristic of the plant, but sometimes they honor a
person: some mysterious unknown figure from the past who must have some
importance in the botanical world.
In
this talk by Debbie Allen, we delve into the origin of the name of Blue
Grama Grass, Bouteloua gracilis. Blue Grama is native to the southwest,
and is charming, distinctive, and easy to identify. The origin of the
genus name, Bouteloua, takes us back to a tale that intertwines two
Spanish gardeners from the late 1700’s, an enlightened king of Spain, an
expedition to explore the New World, and some amazing botanical
drawings that were lost for almost 200 years. Come take a fascinating
journey that encompasses botany, history, exploration, and the tale of
two remarkable men.
Debbie
DeWolf Allen has always loved nature. She majored in geology in college
and fell in love with the wide-open spaces of the west at geology field
camp in Montana. She has been certified as a Master Gardener in Harris
County, Texas, and Yavapai County, Arizona. She recently released a
field guide to local grasses called Common Grasses of the Central
Arizona Highlands, available at the Natural History Institute.
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