CLEMatiS, cleMAHtis, cleMAYtis

[Duane Campbell]

On Sat, 6 Apr 2002 09:55:49 -0800 "ANNE V. GILBERT"
>
> I've been wondering about this for some time.

At a matter of fact I just covered this question in a column last week.
I set the guideline as follows: If you paid more than ten bucks for the
plant, it's a CLEMatis; if you got it on the cheap, it's cleMATis.

While this was written in jest, there is a grain of truth in it. I have
found the difference to be both regional and cultural. In my area, and
many others I'm sure, it has always been cleMATis, and I'm sure there are
regions where it is commonly CLEMatis, though I haven't been able to
pinpoint them. But in cleMATis areas I have found that upscale gardeners
migrate to CLEMatis, which is perceived as being more fashionable.

D