The plants of middle earth - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Alfirin · 07-09-2007, 01:47 PM

Greetings,

As the title suggests the purpose of this thread is to hear as to what you think the real species of some of the plants of middle earth are. I will start with the plant I take my own screen name from Alfirin and its sister plant Mallos.

These two are a little difficult I have always imagined Alfirin as looking a little like a yellow flowered lily-of-the valley as that would meet the requirement that the flowers be bell shaped. The only problem is that lily of the valley is a deep woods plant and would be unlikey to be growing in a spot as open as the Plains of Lebbenen. Some sort of wild asphodel would work as well but their flowers are not particualry bell shaped. I imagine that mallos has larger flowers than alfirn and as being more upright but this is proably because Mallos sounds so much like mallow so I keep imagining a wild hollyhock.

Culumalda- I really don't know, there are so many red foliaged trees. Maybe the copper beech?

Evermind- the rohirrim grave flower. I think that this and niphridel are the same thing in which case its a kind of anemone (Tolkien said explicity that niphridel resembed the wood anemone but was smaller and whiter)

Gallows Weed- This is probably spanish moss

Lairelosse- another tough one. Maybe some sort of giant white flowered lilac?

Laurinque- This is almost certainly the koleurainia or golden rain tree. though if Numenor was a tropical place other choices like the golden shower tree (Cassia fistulosa) are possible. I believe both have good wood.

Lissuin- since this is described as being the most fragrant flower I beive it is prably meant to be something like mingionette.

Nessemelda, Oiolaire, Taniquilasse and Vardarianna- There it little said about these trees except that they are fragrant. However I am fairly sure that a least one if not all would be in the laurel family. one or the other of the latter two is probably some kind of Cinnamon tree since both are said to have fragrant bark as well as leaves. Oiolaire may be a kind of bay since it stays green for a long time and would be a good choice for a safety token

Seregon-The "blood snow" plant that grew on Amon Rudh. I think that given the rokiness of the blad hill Seregon, is prably some kind of sedum with dark red flowers

Yavannamire- Possibily some kind of citrus (though I would not describe a citrus fruit as being "luscios") other possiblities include some sort of persimmon (though this is in fact a more likely identity for lebethron the Gondor wood of which the hobbits staffs and the case for Aragorn's crown are made of since persimmons are the temperate member of the ebony family)

07-09-2007, 01:47 PM	#1
Alfirin Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 435	The plants of middle earth Greetings, As the title suggests the purpose of this thread is to hear as to what you think the real species of some of the plants of middle earth are. I will start with the plant I take my own screen name from Alfirin and its sister plant Mallos. These two are a little difficult I have always imagined Alfirin as looking a little like a yellow flowered lily-of-the valley as that would meet the requirement that the flowers be bell shaped. The only problem is that lily of the valley is a deep woods plant and would be unlikey to be growing in a spot as open as the Plains of Lebbenen. Some sort of wild asphodel would work as well but their flowers are not particualry bell shaped. I imagine that mallos has larger flowers than alfirn and as being more upright but this is proably because Mallos sounds so much like mallow so I keep imagining a wild hollyhock. Culumalda- I really don't know, there are so many red foliaged trees. Maybe the copper beech? Evermind- the rohirrim grave flower. I think that this and niphridel are the same thing in which case its a kind of anemone (Tolkien said explicity that niphridel resembed the wood anemone but was smaller and whiter) Gallows Weed- This is probably spanish moss Lairelosse- another tough one. Maybe some sort of giant white flowered lilac? Laurinque- This is almost certainly the koleurainia or golden rain tree. though if Numenor was a tropical place other choices like the golden shower tree (Cassia fistulosa) are possible. I believe both have good wood. Lissuin- since this is described as being the most fragrant flower I beive it is prably meant to be something like mingionette. Nessemelda, Oiolaire, Taniquilasse and Vardarianna- There it little said about these trees except that they are fragrant. However I am fairly sure that a least one if not all would be in the laurel family. one or the other of the latter two is probably some kind of Cinnamon tree since both are said to have fragrant bark as well as leaves. Oiolaire may be a kind of bay since it stays green for a long time and would be a good choice for a safety token Seregon-The "blood snow" plant that grew on Amon Rudh. I think that given the rokiness of the blad hill Seregon, is prably some kind of sedum with dark red flowers Yavannamire- Possibily some kind of citrus (though I would not describe a citrus fruit as being "luscios") other possiblities include some sort of persimmon (though this is in fact a more likely identity for lebethron the Gondor wood of which the hobbits staffs and the case for Aragorn's crown are made of since persimmons are the temperate member of the ebony family)