thespotlightkid

By thespotlightkid

Dent de lion

Thanks to the excellent Lorenna for informing me that the Spanish name for the dandelion is diente de leon (tooth of lion - from the tooth-shaped leaves).

This got me wondering if it would have the same name in French: dent de lion. Sure enough, Google confirmed that it was the French name that gave origin to the English dandelion. Wikipedia says "The names of the plant have the same meaning in several other European languages, such as the Welsh dant y llew, Italian dente di leone, Catalan dent de lleó, Spanish diente de león, Portuguese dente-de-leão,Norwegian Løvetann, Danish Løvetand and German Löwenzahn".

So there's a little etymological fact I just learned.

However, my French-speaking colleague assures me that in France the plant is invariably known by the vernacular pisse-en-lit. Thereby rendering my fact useless, if interesting.

I think the little grren bug is Oedemera nobilis, or thick-legged flower beetle. Thanks to Daily wild for blipping the same creature in much greater detail.

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