Be he moth or be he not

[altariel]

a_starfish over at naarmamo identified my "butterfly" as probably Pyrausta aurata which is indeed - as some of you noted - in fact a moth. I also learned that oregano is part of the mint family. Taking part in naarmamo was a brilliant idea.

Comments

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

I was just pleased to find out that that is oregano, because I've got some and I vaguely thought it was, so often use it in oregano-requiring recipes, where it seems to work.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

It may also be marjoram.

[kalypso-v.livejournal.com]

It can be both? There is a Chameleon Arch involved?

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Schrodinger's Herb.

[temeres.livejournal.com]

It can be both

They are, apparently. I nipped over to Wikipedia to check and found that oregano is just the herb name for Marjoram Origanum vulgare. Though the culinary herb appears to be a distinct cultivated variety, as I would expect.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I've seen those on my mint. Tiny little things.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Yes, very tiny.

[temeres.livejournal.com]

Pyrausta gets a capital P because it's the generic component of the Linnaean binomial.

Sorry, but uncapitalised generics are one of those trivial little things that unreasonably get my goat.

[altariel.livejournal.com]

All changed.