The first real day of study on the RHS course found us battling to comprehend the mine field that is taxonomy and nomenclature. Gymnosperms, angiosperms, monocots and diocots, family, genus, species and cultivar all conducted in that most widely known language Latin! The old head was spinning a bit by the time we came to have a break. We were sent into the garden to collect leaves showing the characteristics of single and double seed leaves, actually easier than it sounds so everyone enjoyed a breath of fresh air. At lunch time I discovered that Mark and Lisa, who have also brought along their daughter Hannah making it a real family affair, are also mycophiles. So we swapped photos and then Lisa and I took a half hour ramble into the woods discovering some fine examples like this fly agaric and also the white one which at the moment remains unidentified, please help! Three new people have joined the class this week too, James, Anne and Melanie, the more the merrier!
"A gentleman need not know Latin, but he should at least have forgotten it"
Brander Matthews
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