| Author | Content |
 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 9, 2013 5:31 PM Post #9413543
| So I found this image, which kinda looks like a Maple, on an important piece of paper. Any suggestions on an ID?
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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altagardener Calgary, AB (Zone 3b)
February 9, 2013 5:56 PM Post #9413571
| "Important piece of paper", indeed.. ;-) |
Vestia San Francisco, CA
February 9, 2013 5:57 PM Post #9413572
| not enough to say for certain - could be anything really - I have an Abutilon with a leaf like that (not blue and black, of course). |
 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 9, 2013 6:00 PM Post #9413575
| I was thinking Platanus.
So, altagardener, which "important piece of paper" is it? Must be specific to the species. |
TomH3787 Raleigh, NC (Zone 7b)
February 9, 2013 6:15 PM Post #9413590
| The leaf shape resembles Acer platanoides, which is a European species. So if it's on some sort of Canadian government-issued document/form you have cause for being outraged or at least mildly perturbed. |
 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 9, 2013 6:44 PM Post #9413610
| hmmmm...I guess it is..."on some sort of Canadian government-issued document/form". I wouldn't say that it has led to, "cause for being outraged or at least mildly perturbed." I'm used to watching national identity and pride being sold-off to foreign interests so this is nothing new.
Here's a pic of the whole plant.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 9, 2013 7:05 PM Post #9413619
| I looked at this image and it does have the same number of primary "points" http://www.hainaultforest.co.uk/Leaf Norway maple5.JPG
Acer platanoides? |
 RosinaBloom Waihi New Zealand
February 9, 2013 7:21 PM Post #9413637
| Seems like that's what it is, growin...well tracked! |
TomH3787 Raleigh, NC (Zone 7b)
February 9, 2013 7:27 PM Post #9413647
| Typical governmental incompetence. Someone decided the $50 bill needed a redesign, and the task was delegated and re-delegated until it reached some low-level drone who hacked up a prototype with MS-Paint and clip-art. And then no one else in the chain of command could be bothered to actually review it. That's a special kind of stupid... why wouldn't they just use the stylized maple leaf from the Canadian flag (which looks to be based on the native Acer saccharum?) |
 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 9, 2013 7:30 PM Post #9413649
| Thanks everyone! |
 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 9, 2013 7:36 PM Post #9413654
| It is the same government stupidity that I am dealing with regarding the planting of Acer macrophyllum on a 5' boulevard. The tree is prohibited by ordinance in Seattle: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/treeplanting.htm but, because it's native, my landlord pushed the city to plant it. There is no accountability. Atleast I can trust your id of Acer platanoides for the image on Canadian currency. Thanks! |
 Resin Northumberland United Kingdom (Zone 9a)
February 10, 2013 9:14 AM Post #9414126
| I can't tell for sure. Can you send me the piece of paper so I can inspect it in more detail?
;-)
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 ViburnumValley Scott County, KY (Zone 5b)
February 10, 2013 9:54 AM Post #9414160
| I think there is a precipitous rush to belief in incompetency.
This may actually be a very clever anti-counterfeiting angle. All the criminals bent on producing compost-piles of fake Canadian currency (Tom? alta?) would rush to the horticultural conclusion that Canadian money must have Acer saccharum on it - and would thence be summarily busted when their nativistic notes (while nationalistically accurate) fail the morphological sniff test.
I would have thought growin might be more aggrieved that this money bears the image of a Canadian ship named for Norwegian Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen...maybe the BEST reason for the Norway Maple! |
 Resin Northumberland United Kingdom (Zone 9a)
February 10, 2013 11:00 AM Post #9414217
| ViburnumValley wrote: the horticultural conclusion that Canadian money must have Acer saccharum on it
But should it?
Why not Acer macrophyllum? Or Acer spicatum? Or even (dare I say it!!) Acer negundo? . . . that is after all the most widely distributed maple in Canada . . . ;-)
Resin
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 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 10, 2013 11:52 AM Post #9414274
| Not Acer macrophyllum, at the moment http://vanramble.blogspot.ca/2013/02/v-behaviorurldefaultvml... . It's a bit heated at the moment, although I love the tree. It also has limited Canadian coverage.
I remember visiting an Acer saccharum syrup farm near Montreal years ago on my way back from Costa Rica. It was fun! It was very Canadian, and I'm not talking about parking infront of Trachycarpus for street trees. It was what my father described as Canadian in his youth - horse drawn sleds, walking snow covered Acer production areas, hearing everyone speak French and a large hall of partying, violin-playing and pancakes and syrup. It is symbolic, bold, and natural. It belongs on Canadian currency and the flag for good reason. http://www.pch.gc.ca/pgm/ceem-cced/symbl/o3-eng.cfm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_leaf
VV - the ship was built very close to where I live in North Vancouver http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CCGS_Amundsen and served numerous Arctic research expeditions in its later years. Of course, "The True North strong and free!" from our anthem is one of the last frontiers that is showing significant changes due to global warming. The importance of research and understanding is vital in order to protect it. I'm just curious what the odd alien-like symbols are above the ship on the bill.
Resin, the bill is gone from my hands due to the cost of living in Vancouver.
This message was edited Mar 3, 2013 7:41 PM |
 ViburnumValley Scott County, KY (Zone 5b)
February 10, 2013 5:14 PM Post #9414666
| I presumed the symbols were possible characters from the languages of the natives that lived in the Arctic before European settlement.
Maybe you could show more closeups of this bill, and we can dissect the etymology of more of its parts... |
 ViburnumValley Scott County, KY (Zone 5b)
February 10, 2013 5:31 PM Post #9414681
| Ha! Per the ever-lovin' internet, "...a Canadian botanist..." has beaten growin to the punch on the Acer accusation.
http://www.banknotenews.com/files/tag-canada.php
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 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 10, 2013 5:36 PM Post #9414688
| I just posted it for fun, considering I hang out here anyways. I wanted to see what you guys thought. Nothing like showing government incompetency in a plant id forum of Canadian legal tender. |
 ViburnumValley Scott County, KY (Zone 5b)
February 10, 2013 5:45 PM Post #9414698
| Inuktuit is the language of the "...odd alien-like symbols..." on the bill - spelling out their word for Arctic. |
 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 10, 2013 5:48 PM Post #9414704
| Oh, now that is cool! I've never seen the language spelled out, and I appologize to anyone from the north for my ignorance. Good detective work VV!
This message was edited Mar 3, 2013 7:43 PM |
 ViburnumValley Scott County, KY (Zone 5b)
February 10, 2013 5:50 PM Post #9414706
| I'm cutting in on moonhowl's action...
[HYPERLINK@en.wikipedia.org]
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 growin Vancouver, BC (Zone 8b)
 February 10, 2013 5:56 PM Post #9414709
| It was actually carrielamont who pointed this issue out in a thread about her article regarding the Boston Molasses Explosion of 1919: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1293833/ |