"Wayne Boatwright" schrieb :
> On Thu 27 Dec 2007 04:03:41p, Michael Kuettner told us...
>
>>
>> "Wayne Boatwright" schrieb :
>>> On Thu 27 Dec 2007 10:43:10a, Janet Baraclough told us...
>>>
>>>> The message from "Michael Kuettner" contains these words:
>>>>
>>>>> Nutmeg is the nut; mace is the blossom.
>>>>
>>>> It's not the blossom. Mace is a lacy layer covering the nutmeg ,
> both
>>>> are contained within an outer layer.
>>>>
>>>> see a pic of how they fit together at
>>>>
>>>> http://www.picturescolourlibrary.co....go/2166366.jpg
>>>>
>>>> Janet
>>>>
>>>
>>> Yes, I knew that, but apparently Michael did not. I use blades of mace
>>> with certain pickles that I make. A couple of times I have bought the
>>> nutmeg with the mace still surrounding it.
>>>
>> Since I don't know the English name of the thingy covering the seed
>> (the Arillus), I just called it blossom.
>> What's the English word for Arillus ?
>>
>
> Michael, I was forgetting that English is not your native language. I
> apologize.

No worries. Aril or arillus isn't a word in everyday use.
And since my big dic is 400 km away ...

> I don't think there is really one English word that is the
> equivalent. Here is a definitiona;
>
> n.) A exterior covering, forming a false coat or appendage to a seed, as
> the loose, transparent bag inclosing the seed or the white water lily. The
> mace of the nutmeg is also an aril.
>
> Arillus: words in the definition
> A, Also, An, Appendage, Aril, As, Bag, Coat, Covering, Exterior, False,
> Forming, Inclosing, Is, Lily, Loose, Mace, Nutmeg, Of, Or, Seed, The, To,
> Transparent, Water, White,
>
Arillus: words in the definition
An appendage forming a false coat to bag Aril's exterior, inclosing Lily's
seed. Loose mace as nutmeg to the transparent white water.

I've post-modernized your poem for you ;-)

Cheers,

Michael Kuettner

PS : Thanks also to Gloria and Janet !