Botany Quiz: What's an herb?

Hey, at least two of those answers are correct! One by definition, one by common usage.

Kathleen, one of the answers takes precedents over the other.

John

I voted for the first one but like to think of herbs as an edible fragrant plant and hate to think of them as pesticides. YUCK

I was thinking herb as in "herbaceous", opposite of woody (?) So I voted for #3, although small is a relative term, I guess :-) -Christie

I voted other because all 3 of the "other" definitions are at least partially correct.

I voted for #3. I don't know if it's the right one, though! (?)

I voted for #1.

The definition just appeared n the latst ish of Herb Companion

Well, I chose #1 - doesn't rosemary have woody branches? And I know some are very hardy perennials.

Hmm, I choose 3, because just because it's grown for medicinal use, does that always make it an herb? I was guessing.

You don't get to ask questions during a quiz! LOL

John, you're no fun! LOL

I chose 3, by the way, being of a "definition" turn of mind

So did I.

Hmm......I chose "other", only because I think they're all right. This seems to be borne out by our own Garden Terms definition as well.

There was no mention of precedence of one definition over another, in either the quiz or the Garden Terms.

Shannon

I don't think #1 meant that all plants grown for medicinal purposes are herbs, but that herbs are generally medicinal. Kind of like all polar bears are bears, but not all bears are polar bears. I chose #1 :)

I DIG these little quizzes.......good stuff. And, I got it right. =)

hmmm, I voted #1 because I definately wouldn't consider some herbs to be either annuals or tender and I think of several as being woody, like rosemary, lavender, sage, mint, bay leaves (or trees)

It's #1 for sure.I have about 10 Herb books,LOL.Jody

I chose # 1 by eliminating the other two choices also. A lot of herbs are cold hardy and woody.

The word "herb" has more than one meaning. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Botany, for example, defines it as "a plant having no persistent parts above the ground". Our own Garden Terms defines it as "a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that dies to the ground at the end of a growing season", and as "a plant valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities."

So, it doesn't look like any of our three choices can be ruled out. :-)

Shannon

I chose #1 ..........for obvoius reasons (look at my user name) :)

Arn't these little quiz's just great for getting the mind going?

A "herb" in the "Home" sense describes a plant that can be used for many household reasons. Being either Culinary, Medicinal, Aromatherapy,Pesticide (insect repelllent sounds so much nicer don't you think?),Dye,Clothing (Hemp) ,etc.

The term for a soft, tender stemed plant that becomes dormant at certain times of the year is refered to as "Herbaceous". Many a confused person I have come across with this word.
There are also many, many, many plants with which we would not associate the term "Herb" with, which are in fact a herb somewhere in this world.
This could be a topic of debate for a long time.

time to lie dormant for a while.....
.......Herbaceously yours.................Noel :-)

In my mind #2 & #3 exclude what a herb can be and are incorrect. Two examples in my small (and definately frozen) garden; lemon balm, it is "tender" and you know that I see it year after year, and a lavender plant, which is a woody perrenial. #1 is a great definition of all the things a herb CAN be.

Culinary, Medicinal, etc, definition can fit any plant. So when you get right down to it, any plant is an herb.
I voted #1.
Bernie

I have doubts about my answer now. :-|

Gee Herbynoel, if someone has a different opinion, it doesn't necessarily mean they're confused! :-)

Who am I to say that someone else's definition is invalid - especially if it's in botanical dictionaries and our own Garden Terms....

I think the great thing about this particular quiz is to demonstrate the validity of many possible interpretations of the word. Thanks for another great one, DG!

Shannon

I think our discussion points out that there are a variety of reference materials out there and that they may be in conflict at times.

FYI -
Herbaceous is not about dormancy as much as it is about the lack of woody growth above the ground. Annuals, biennials and bulbs can be herbaceous as well as perennials.

Herb and herbaceous are different words entirely.

Hmmm.....what are the first four letters of "herbaceous"? ;-)

Almost entirely?

LOL! :-)

Here's what the Canadian Oxford has to say on the matter:

Herb, definition #1: any non-woody seed-bearing plant which dies down to the ground after flowering.

Herb, definition #2: any plant with leaves, seeds or flowers used for flavouring, food, medicine, scent, etc.

Herbaceous, definition #1: of or like herbs (see Herb, definition #1)

Herbaceous, definition #2: not woody or not having a woody stem

Going by this, herb and herbaceous are definitely related. Not necessarily in the medicinal sense - although there's no evidence that that can be definitively ruled out either. We weren't asked to answer the question in a "home" sense or a "medicinal" sense specifically. Therefore, IMHO, none of the three quiz options can be ruled out. I would have chosen "all of the above".

In my mind (?) is the use of the word in the verse quoted by Dave in the newsletter. It seems to me that in that context it implies all the earths vegetation. This may end up in the courts if don't like the answer! LOL

How do we find out the true answer? For the record I voted #3.

Joseph

We wait.

I think so far we've found that there is not necessarily any "true" answer... which means that this was a great quiz question, IMO! :-)

I don't understand what's going on here. This is a simple question with one answer, which is # 1. There isn't any guessing about it. A herb could be # 2 or # 3, but it's not asking what it could be, it's asking exactly what is a herb.
Bernie

actually #1 might be the one answer that is wrong because there are plants grown for the listed uses that are NOT herbs. Trees,roses and molds come to mind and that answer says ANY plant grown for such uses (is an herb)

My favorite Herbs are:
thyme, small leaves, woody stems for cock au vin if nothing else.
basil, fleshy green leaves soft and hard stems. Great with any tomato. dill almost like a fern, wispy, soft strands of folage.
Marjoram. crush and rub seeds on clean skin for great fragrance, like Aramis for men.
Bay leaf make stews, soup, spagetti sauce, the chicken above and many other dishes finished.
Oregano spells Italian and is soft and hard stemed.
Fodder for thought,
Sidney
Sidney

Herb: 1. "any non-woody seed-bearing plant which dies down to the ground after flowering."
2. "any plant with leaves, seeds or flowers used for flavouring, food, medicine, scent, etc."

That's straight from the pages of Oxford. Canadian Oxford, mind you....so maybe it's a regional thing ;-) We've been snowed under so long this winter that I probably wouldn't recognize a herb if it whacked me on the nose! lol

I'm gratified that the vast majority of us are willing to respect each other's opinions, and also acknowledge that it might not be black-and-white, or might not be limited to only one answer. If I may take liberties with an existing saying about life, "DG Botany Quizzes are not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be experienced." lol

I'll make ya a deal, Bernie: I'll agree with you that #1 is the more common definition, if you consider that #2 and/or #3 might have some relevance too. How about it?

Shannon

Edited to turn negativity into positivity...if that's a word.... :-)



This message was edited Mar 23, 2005 8:46 PM