Life Is Full of Sweet Spots

“Names

are not always

what they seem.”

— Mark Twain

“What’s in a name, really? I mean, besides a bunch of letters or sounds strung together to make a word. Does a rose by any other name really smell as sweet? Would the most famous love story in the world be as poignant if it was called Romeo and Gertrude? Why is what we call ourselves so important?” — Julie Kagawa

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Pachystachys lutea, Golden Shrimp, Yellow Lollipop, Golden Candle—choose whichever name you like. Genus name of this tropical beauty is derived from the Greek words pachys meaning thick and stachys meaning ear of corn or spike, while its popular common name of Golden Shrimp plant results from its overlapping yellow bracts being fancied as resembling the scales of a shrimp. • Photo by Mary O’Connor

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