funny names etc.

[Freek Vrugtman]

And there is the paper by Reid Moran in MADRONA 16(8):272 [1962]. The title of the paper extends over 4 lines; the actual paper barely one-third of a line; this is followed by about 27 lines of acknowledgement, terminating in "Last but not least, I cannot fail to mention my deep indebtedness to my parents, without whose early cooperation this work would never have been possible."

Wasn't it Reid Moran who put a postage stamp on a hard-boiled egg, wrote on the address and mailed it to his department?

Richard (Dick) A. Howard, Prof. of Botany at Harvard, collected info on botanical hoaxes and botanical humor involving botanical nomenclature. There was a note to that effect in TAXON 27(4):364 (1978), under NEWS AND NOTES.
Some examples given are Pouteria Aublet, Schrebera L., and Actinotinus Oliver, all based on "mixed specimens".
And so are Quesnelia tillandsioides (Baker)Mez, and Papilionopsis stylidioides Steenis.

Referring to botanical humor Dick cites:
C.G. Lloyd's "The species of the genus Anthropomorphus Seger" Mycological Notes 4: L. 48, 11, f. 1913.
Golfballia ambusta Dennis gen.et spec. nov.; Journ. Kew Guild 8:181-182 (1962).
Yucca whipplei var. schuss G. Albrecht; Scientific Monthly 75:250-252 (1952).
Mammillaria busonii H. Bachtel; Kakteen und Succulenten 22(4):78-79 (1971).

There is also a paper:
Corrington, Julian D. "Nature Fakes." Bios 27(3):159-169 (1956).

So much for a very snowy Saturday-afternoon in Ontario.
Cheerio,
Freek
freek.vrugtman at sympatico.ca