Edit:
Just realized the correct name for the tree is actually maple.
False friend caused mistake because its name is "Ahorn" in German.
Keeping the heading as it is, because it is funny, although it might trigger the Canadians (sorry, dudes!).
Our acorn tree dropped all of its blossom-thingies within a few hours
49 Comments
Drusas@fedia.io · 52 pts · 126d
Acorn tree.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 37 pts · 126d
Damn!
Classical "false friend" type error.
The tree is named "Ahorn" in my mother tongue (German). đ
OwOarchist@pawb.social · 27 pts · 126d
And those 'blossom-thingies' are called ... flowers.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 19 pts · 126d
Does the term "flower" apply to trees, though?
Besides, the dropped stuff seemed only to be a part of the blossoms that I didn't knew the name for.
Rest of the blossom constructs stayed on the tree.
8oow3291d@feddit.dk · 24 pts · 126d
Yes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowering_plant
Flower petals.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 23 pts · 126d
Thanks!
So, TIL that the English term "flower" is used in a much broader sense than its supposed direct German translation "Blume".
Nobody in Germany would say a tree has flowers (Blumen), but that it has blossoms (BlĂŒten).
And "Flowering Plants" are also named "BlĂŒtenpflanzen" ("Blossom Plants").
So saying "tree flowers" sounds really, really odd to me.
Like someone calling a jumping frog "a flying frog".
So thanks for the explanation, would never have guessed that by myself but will now use it in all my future tree-related discussions! :-)
protist@retrofed.com · 14 pts · 126d
In English, in my opinion at least, "flower" describes the inflorescence at any point in its growth cycle, while "blossom" describes the flower at its fullest development. More often though, "blossom" is used as a verb meaning to bloom or to develop.
jubilationtcornpone@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 126d
"Blossom" essentially means "flower". It's just not used as often. At least not in American English.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 126d
I knew it from things like "cherry blossom", meaning "KirschblĂŒte", so have always assumed "blossom" to be used in completely the same way as "BlĂŒte".
Same for "Blume"/"flower".
Turns out, both assumptions have been wrong.
ZombiFrancis@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 126d
Well since it's english and we borrow and mash everything around and together: we say that flowers and trees 'bloom' when they produce blossoms.
Drusas@fedia.io · 1 pts · 126d
"Blossom" is definitely commonly used in American English, just not nearly as frequently as "flower".
makyo@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 126d
I usually say âblossomsâ for trees though it can sometimes imply blossoming IE new flowers in English
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 126d
But your username also gives me slight vibes you might have some affiliation with the German language... ;-)
makyo@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 126d
Ha well German is my second language
Drusas@fedia.io · -2 pts · 126d
Maple trees do not produce flowers, but many other types of trees do.
protist@retrofed.com · 10 pts · 126d
Maple trees are angiosperms and definitely produce flowers. They may not be showy, but they're there
Drusas@fedia.io · 1 pts · 126d
Interesting, thank you. I guess I should instead say, then, that I have never seen any flowers on any maple trees and I have seen tons of maple trees. But I didn't know that. I'll have to do some reading. I love plants. You could study them all day every day and die knowing so little about them.
protist@retrofed.com · 2 pts · 126d
Quite a few angiosperms have inconspicuous flowers. All grasses have flowers, but on most species you'll never see them unless you're studying them with a magnifying glass
Drusas@fedia.io · 2 pts · 121d
You really can spend so much of your time learning about plants and barely ever know anything about them.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 5 pts · 126d
But according to Wikipedia, they do?
Drusas@fedia.io · 2 pts · 126d
Wow, I'll have to look out up. None of the maples in my region do.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 126d
Perhaps they have not been through puberty yet... ;-)
pticrix@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 126d
Pirtatogna@lemmy.world · 35 pts · 126d
I upvoted for the false friend explanation. Thank you for tickling my language nerd gland in such a pleasing way.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 14 pts · 126d
l guess I managed to pack two mildly interesting topics into one post by accident. :-)
jaybone@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 126d
There should be a false fremd.
tempest@lemmy.ca · 23 pts · 126d
This thread is why acorns should be called oak nuts
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 11 pts · 126d
This thread has evolved into one about linguistics, so I opt for them to be called eggcorns.
sundray@lemmus.org · 14 pts · 126d
When a tree sneezes!
FenrirIII@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 126d
That's tree jizz
ZJBlank@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 126d
When a tree sneezes real good
ODGreen@lemmy.ca · 13 pts · 126d
Canadian here. Yea bud you triggered me there eh. That's fer sure a maple. I just helped my buddy tap a few maple trees couple weeks back.
Duranie@leminal.space · 9 pts · 126d
Growing up we called them helicopters because of the way they'd spin while falling. As an adult I'm more likely to think "welp, the tree shit all over the driveway again." Lol
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 6 pts · 126d
The helicopters are the seeds during autumn though.
The things in the picture are apparently the flower petals the tree throws when not needing them any more.
The helicopters are fun.
Not only the way they fall, but we also used to open them up and stick them to our noses.
As an adult l am more divided: still somehow like them, but don't like having to remove dozens of maple saplings from our garden each year...
pseudo@jlai.lu · 2 pts · 126d
I called them both helicopter and "pinch-nose" (pince-nez) cause you can open the seed pocket that is sticky and place your nose in place of the side. But that is not what is on the picture.
A_norny_mousse@piefed.zip · 9 pts · 126d
I, too, always have difficulties calling these thingies flowers! Blossom is actually the prefered term for trees I believe? Some of them just don't look flowery at all.
What caused the rapid fall? Wind?
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 7 pts · 126d
We had a weather change from very warm and sunny to colder and rainy over night.
That might have played a role here.
Cherry@piefed.social · 8 pts · 126d
Anyone else's OCD marveling in the almost squareness of the drop whilst also trying to figure the floor vrs the drop?
Only to figure its just the paving lines.
cyan_mess@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 126d
Do you have a neighbor named Aureliano? If so, check on his family
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 6 pts · 126d
Not that I know of...
Why?
Is this some kind of insider reference or should l go and have a look at the door bell nameplates of the neighbouring buildings for some reason?
cyan_mess@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 126d
It's a reference to "100 Years of Solitude". >!When the patriarch JosĂ© Arcadio BuendĂa dies, yellow flowers rain all over the streets of his town!<
Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.club · 2 pts · 126d
Trees are great!
pseudo@jlai.lu · 2 pts · 126d
Those are, pardon my french: kittens.
EDIT: they are german kittens auch! Unglaublich (^_^)
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 126d
Aren't those here KĂ€tzchen/kittens?
Those grow on willows, so wrong type of tree.
pseudo@jlai.lu · 3 pts · 126d
Yet according to de.wiktionary.org/wiki/K%C3%A4tzchen :
So not only from willows at least in some context.
Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 125d
Interesting!
Up to now only heard of the "WeidenkÀtzchen"...
But it's not the type the maple-flowers are.
pseudo@jlai.lu · 3 pts · 126d
Ohhh... You can't say that for other long blossom thingies? Too bad.
Well these are french "chaton" :
Etterra@discuss.online · 2 pts · 126d
Me: Acorn tree? So an oak tree? Zooms in those aren't oak leaves.
OP: okay so I just found out how wrong I was.
altphoto@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 126d
Morning after pill should always be an option. What if one of those had turned into another tree? Think about it! This tree is just being responsible by not bringing another tree into the world whe they are not ready for the commitment.