Earlier in the week I made a trip to Cheaha and also to Anniston Museum of Natural History. I always enjoy the museum. Right now they have a great display of minerals on loan from the Smithsonian. But (Surprise!!) the gardens are my favorite part of the museum. There are always plants that I never saw before.
Several years ago when I went to the museum I saw the plant in the picture above. It was so unusual and had such great texture that I could not resist it and took a few seed. I planted the seed and several came up but I had no idea what it was nor how to find out. I posted the above picture on a website called Name That Plant, along with a description of where the seed came from . I did not receive a name right away but I heard from an acquaintance of the curator of the Anniston Museum. He sent me the email address of Dan Spaulding and sugg4ested that I ask him. I did, although I did not mention that I now had the plant myself, raised from seed taken secretly from the museum garden. I hreard back right away from Mr Spaulding, and he named the plant and said he had received the plant from a friend who got it on an expedition. He also offered me some of the plant so I did not feel so bad at having collected the seed surreptitiously.
This story is not so much about this plant is it is about finding information and people on the internet. If you have a question, do not despair: someone out there knows the answer and would like to tell you.
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