Or … Burnellus meets Botanicals
This post is about a medieval donkey, Burnellus, Sedum morganianum (aka Donkey’s Tail), and Diuris (aka Donkey Orchid) and how they are ‘related’ – in a manner of speaking.
Let’s start with Burnellus (aka Brunellus). He was a well-known medieval donkey and the star of a medieval best-seller, the Speculum stultorum (The Mirror of Fools). It was a satirical little story written by a monk in Canterbury, England around 1180, about a donkey who wanted a longer tail to match his long ears. It is a cautionary tale against avarice and ambition. Burnellus was the representation of a formidable cleric, the Bishop of Ely, who had ambitions of power – not very humble for a religious man, hence the book’s chastisement. In medieval literature, horse tails were a metaphor for power hence, to chop a horse’s tail off indicated weakness or loss of authority. Burnellus’ desire for a longer tail sees him embark on a journey around Europe searching for the means to achieve a long tail. But Burnellus is on a fruitless journey and after many escapades he ends his journey with the opposite of his desires: a shorter tail as well as shorter ears.
Image: Doodle of donkey and bishop’s mitre in the margin of a manuscript of the Speculum stultorum.
The reason for telling this story is to draw attention to the donkey ears and tail. Now, fast forward eight centuries and donkey’s ears and tails appear in the world of plants.
Donkey’s Tail (Sedum morganianum)
Like the donkey, this plant likes hot, dry conditions; although this plant comes from Mexico, and perhaps that is why it’s also known as Burro’s tail. It is a succulent and has pendant stems that can grow up to 60 cm in length, making it an ideal plant for hanging baskets. The plant’s tails are brittle however and can easily break off. So like Burnellus, this plant can find itself with shorter tails. However, unlike Burnellus, who would have had to wait a while for his tail to regrow, the plant’s tails are easily propagated just by repotting.
Check out this impressive specimen – Burnellus would have been quite jealous.
The Donkey Orchid
The Diuris is endemic to Australia and is better known as the donkey orchid. Why? Because of its two large petals that look ear-like and no doubt, Burnellus would have been proud of those. Its scientific name, however, reveals another twist in the tale, pardon the pun. Derived from Greek, the translation, ‘double tail’ (dis – double and oura – tail), refers to the two sepals that hang down beneath the petals. What would Burnellus have made of that, I wonder – two tails, not just a longer tail?
Whilst on his travels, Burnellus was advised to accept what Nature had provided for him and this was clearly a caution against avarice, one of the deadly sins. Yet it seems that Nature (and the taxonomists) played a trick on the medieval donkey, producing two plants that have exactly what Burnellus desired all those years ago.
