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Quiz about The Pharmacy in Your Garden
Quiz about The Pharmacy in Your Garden

The Pharmacy in Your Garden Trivia Quiz


People have turned to plants for medicinal purposes since ancient times and this can be reflected in the plant's genus. Can you workout which plant is involved from the clues given?

A photo quiz by suomy. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
suomy
Time
4 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
376,770
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
489
Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (9/10), Guest 159 (5/10), Jenny4684 (4/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Even with no bones to knit, the plant is a favourite of the organic gardener as a fertiliser. What is the common name for plants of the genus Symphytum? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The genus Solidago (meaning 'to make whole') gets its name from its reputation for healing wounds. More recently however it has been falsely blamed for causing hay fever. Which plant is being described? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The low-growing plant Lobularia maritima was once classified in a different genus. Its former genus (meaning 'not enraged') reflected the belief that it was useful in treating rabies. This history is now preserved in one of the plant's common names. What is it? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The treatment of itchy, scaly skin diseases led to the name of this genus from the honeysuckle family. What is the genus of the plant sometimes referred to as a pincushion flower? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Saxifrage is, according to the Roman writer Piny, good for the kidneys. The photo shows one species, the Saxifraga granulata. Reflecting its supposed medical use, what does 'saxifraga' mean? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Although this plant has a medicinal history, it is best known today as a source of soap as indicated by its name. Belonging to the carnation (or pink) family, which genus helps produce the suds? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The photo shows a type of marigold, a name found in at least six genera. This one is the one known for its uses in medicine and cookery. Which 'temporal' genus does it come from? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Sounding more philosophical than medicinal, what genus gives us birthwort or Dutchman's pipe? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. What is the common name for Althaea officinalis, a name linked to a modern-day sweet? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Often found in the kitchen garden and part of the mint family, what is the common name of the genus which translates from Latin as meaning 'to feel well and healthy, health, heal'? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Sep 21 2024 : Guest 86: 9/10
Sep 08 2024 : Guest 159: 5/10
Aug 18 2024 : Jenny4684: 4/10
Aug 16 2024 : DeepHistory: 10/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Even with no bones to knit, the plant is a favourite of the organic gardener as a fertiliser. What is the common name for plants of the genus Symphytum?

Answer: Comfrey

The genus Symphytum translates from Greek as a combination of 'growing together of bones' and 'a plant' which, along with traditional names such as knitbone, point to its historical use as a medicinal herb.

Deep-rooted, hairy-leafed and carrying bell-shaped flowers, it gets praise from the organic gardener for its ability to mine minerals from the soil and accumulate them. This means it makes a great garden fertiliser, can be used as a compost activator and is a good companion plant for your fruit trees. The Russian comfrey (the Blocking 14 cultivar) normally seen in gardens is sterile but spreads from root cuttings. As such, it can be difficult to get rid of, should you want to.
2. The genus Solidago (meaning 'to make whole') gets its name from its reputation for healing wounds. More recently however it has been falsely blamed for causing hay fever. Which plant is being described?

Answer: Goldenrod

Blamed mistakenly for causing hay fever, goldenrod is insect-pollinated as its pollen is sticky and too heavy to get airborne. It however flowers at the same time as ragweed, which is wind pollinated and so is the more likely cause of any hay fever.

An edible plant with some 120 species in the genus, it was at one time developed for its potential for making synthetic rubber by both Thomas Edison (the inventor) and Henry Ford (the car manufacturer). Some species have achieved invasive species status in a number of countries. The photo shows Solidago canadensis.
3. The low-growing plant Lobularia maritima was once classified in a different genus. Its former genus (meaning 'not enraged') reflected the belief that it was useful in treating rabies. This history is now preserved in one of the plant's common names. What is it?

Answer: Alyssum

A native of the Mediterranean, sweet alyssum is also known as madwort or healbite and is shown in the photo. Its scent has been compared to honey or beeswax.

These days it is useful in the vegetable garden for providing long-flowering ground cover and as a companion plant, attracting beneficial insects such as hoverflies to help with pest control. The flowers and leaves are said to be edible. Too much contact can irritate the skin.
4. The treatment of itchy, scaly skin diseases led to the name of this genus from the honeysuckle family. What is the genus of the plant sometimes referred to as a pincushion flower?

Answer: Scabiosa

The photo shows a Scabiosa columbaria, which has common names such as pigeon scabious, dove scabious (columbaria translates as dove-like) or pincushion flower. Scabiosa is related to the word 'scabies' through the Latin 'scabere' (meaning to scratch). At one time it was thought to help relieve the itch of scabies and the plague.

Not all plants carrying the common name of scabious belong to the genus Scabiosa. Others appears in such genera as Cephalaria, Knautia and Succisa.
5. Saxifrage is, according to the Roman writer Piny, good for the kidneys. The photo shows one species, the Saxifraga granulata. Reflecting its supposed medical use, what does 'saxifraga' mean?

Answer: Stone-breaker

The name Saxifraga comes from the Latin saxum (stone/rock) and fragere (to break). The genus consists of over 400 species and are found in the Arctic and northern hemisphere alpine regions, typically sporting ground-hugging leaves with flowers on stalks.

Mediaeval medicinal use possibly harks back to the doctrine of signatures, where the shapes of plant parts were interpreted as divine hints as to its use. Thus Saxifraga granulata (meadow saxifrage), with its kidney-shaped leaves and small grain-like bulbils, suggested that it was good for dealing with kidney stones.

Strangely, perhaps, the doctrine can be self-fulfilling. The value of ginseng in Traditional Chinese medicine is in its humanoid shape and so ginseng has been selectively bred for this characteristic over thousands of years.
6. Although this plant has a medicinal history, it is best known today as a source of soap as indicated by its name. Belonging to the carnation (or pink) family, which genus helps produce the suds?

Answer: Saponaria

Native to Europe and Asia, there are some 30 species in the genus. The genus name Saponaria comes from the Latin for soap or soapy. The one in the photo is the common soapwort (S. officinalis). The 'officinalis' part refers to its medical history, meaning belonging to the officiana which was the medical and herb storeroom of a monastery. Over 50 plants carry this designation.

In the case of soapwort, its use included for skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. Soapwort has a number of other common names such as bouncing-bet, wild sweet William and crow soap.
7. The photo shows a type of marigold, a name found in at least six genera. This one is the one known for its uses in medicine and cookery. Which 'temporal' genus does it come from?

Answer: Calendula

The one shown, pot marigold, is said to get its name from its use in German soups and stews. It has a history of use as a dye, both of fabrics and foods like butter and cheese. Calendula oil still has medical applications, including healing wounds and as an anti-inflammatory. The plant, however, has been known to cause allergic reactions.

Pot marigold is the common name for Calendula officinalis. There are some 15 species in the genus.
8. Sounding more philosophical than medicinal, what genus gives us birthwort or Dutchman's pipe?

Answer: Aristolochia

Comprising some 500 species of woody vines, the genus Aristolochia translates as 'best' (aristos) 'childbirth' (-locheia) and its name and medical use is due to the doctrine of signatures (where the shape of the plant is a divine clue to its use) rather than the philosopher Aristotle. An alternative explanation is that it was named after a Greek called Aristolochos who dreamt that it was a snakebite antidote.

With a medicinal history going back to the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and in traditional Chinese medicine, it has more recently been blamed for thousand of kidney failures due to the toxicity of aristolochic acid. The acid is also a potent carcinogen. Swallowtail butterfly larvae eat many of the species, making them unpalatable to many predators.

The photo shows A. littoralis (elegant Dutchman's pipe or calico flower).
9. What is the common name for Althaea officinalis, a name linked to a modern-day sweet?

Answer: Marsh mallow

Once used in a medicinal sweet made by the Ancient Egyptians, the modern-day sweet no longer contains any trace of the plant.

The genus Althaea ('to heal') consists of around 12 species. A. officinalis (in the photo) has a culinary and medical history going back several thousand years. The Romans considered it a food delicacy. It can be used as a pot herb and to thicken soups, for example. It is also used as a food source in times of shortage. Medically, it has been used since Ancient Egyptians times for soothing sore throats, ulcers, digestive disorders and the like. The mucilage in the plant is a key aspect of its use.
10. Often found in the kitchen garden and part of the mint family, what is the common name of the genus which translates from Latin as meaning 'to feel well and healthy, health, heal'?

Answer: Salvia

S. officinalis (shown in the photo) is also known as sage and is part of a genus with over 900 species. This one species has many cultivars with variations in leaf and flower shape, size and colouring, however leaves tend to be oblong with mostly white soft hairy undersides. Its medical applications cover such areas as digestive problems, menopause and memory loss.

An unusual pollination mechanism is the defining characteristic of the genus. A lever mechanism is triggered by an insect (or bird) with the result that pollen (from a male flower) is deposited on the insect's back by the stamen. The lever is reset when the pollinator leaves. A similar process occurs in the female flower with the stigma bending to touch the spot where the pollen has previously been deposited.
Source: Author suomy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor WesleyCrusher before going online.
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