“Modoki” and “Fū”

Some plant names come with the suffix “modoki” (mimic) or “fū” (-like).

Take, for example, tsuru-ume-modoki (Oriental bittersweet) or momiji-ba-fū (American sweetgum). When you stop to think about what these names actually mean, it’s not unreasonable to read them as “kind of like a tsuru-ume” or “sort of momiji-leaf-ish.” From a human-centered point of view, they may be harmless names that hurt no one—but from the plants’ own point of view, surely they must be disappointed by this kind of naming.

Incidentally, if we tried the same thing with people’s names, we’d get something like “Mr. Sato-Mimic” or “Ms. Suzuki-esque,” and the Satos and Suzukis stuck with such names would no doubt endure no end of unpleasant feelings all their lives. I don’t know who gave the plants these names, but since every plant is doing its very best to live, I truly hope that anyone who discovers a new species from here on will name it with affection and responsibility.