CLEMatiS, cleMAHtis, cleMAYtis

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 04/06/2002 12:55:23 PM Eastern Standard Time,
avgilbert at PRODIGY.NET writes:

> Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
>  Checked by AVG anti-virus system

Dear Ms. A. V. Gilbert,

    You are in the software business now?

    My mother, who except during World War II spent all of her 84 years in
Louisville, Kentucky, raised CLEMatis.  I have never heard either of the
other pronunciations, but then I'm not a gardener.  My personal suspicion is
that there has arisen a phonetic confusion with toMAYtoe/toMAHtoe, or even
with poTAYtoe (a suggestion at which even Dan would Quayle).

     - Jim Landau