80
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 17 points 1 week ago

I found Tradescantia to be named "wandering jew" (link to Wikipedia) but I can't find any etymology for Auricularia except for the fact that it's ear-shaped.

[-] Plum@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago
[-] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 3 points 1 week ago
[-] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 1 points 1 week ago

Named because it’s black and ear-shaped. This is not the smoking gun.

[-] fossilesque@mander.xyz 15 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

https://danieljamesgreenwood.com/2019/12/13/fungifriday-december-jelly-ear/

Jelly ear once had a more derogatory or racist name. This is largely because of the Latin name (Auricularia auricula-judae) which relates to Judas Escariot and the species’s association with elder. Judas is said to have died from hanging in an elder tree but that is almost certainly impossible because it is a very soft wood. The ears are said to be a remnant of his spirit. I call it jelly ear, as do all up to date field guides.

[-] dylanmorgan@slrpnk.net 9 points 1 week ago

It’s “Judas Iscariot” but the “escariot” made me think “Judas Escargot.”

[-] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

So, did it used to be "Jew ear"?

[-] Plum@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

Huh. Ew.

Jelly Ear is much nicer, all around.

[-] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago

Huh. Chinese been calling this wood ear for idk for how long. Delicious fungi.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Never understood why Wandering Jew would be problematic as it's simply a myth. Anyone tell me what I'm missing?

[-] o2wtf2o@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 week ago

It's a myth that has been used by antisemites, culminating in use in the Nazi regime to Other the Jews (including an art exhibit and propaganda film). There have been plenty of calls from the Jewish community to get rid of the name.

[-] shalafi@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago
[-] Greddan@feddit.org -4 points 1 week ago

Swede (not the vegetable) here. People with a victim complex will often take any reference to themselves that aren't universal praise, as an attack/insult. Goes double for weird ethnocults.

[-] Dragonstaff@leminal.space 4 points 1 week ago

"People with a victim complex"

Gee...I can't imagine why Jewish people might feel put upon. Thank God we have a Swede who really understands oppression who isn't afraid to stand up for naming plants after racist caricatures.

[-] bishoponarope@lemmy.world 3 points 1 week ago

Swedes are delicious

[-] Triumph@fedia.io 1 points 1 week ago

Don't the traditionally racist depictions of Jews also include large ears?

[-] Plum@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

There's a whole myth thing about the wandering jew that pops up a lot in media....

But "inch plant" is the preferred nomenclature for tradescandia.

[-] Hadriscus@jlai.lu 2 points 1 week ago

I think so. But these are two different species, one is a flower the other is a mushroom

[-] Acinonyx@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 week ago
[-] Plum@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

Fungi aren't flowers in the same way that human beings aren't flowers.

[-] Acinonyx@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 week ago

human beings aren't flowers

not with that mindset

this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2025
80 points (97.6% liked)

Science Memes

16919 readers
2059 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.



Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS