Summary: NOTE BEFORE THE MNEMONIC: Of the 52 plants shared in this course, there are 3, including this one, that resemble the shape of a bottle brush. They also have tiny white flowers (they represent soap bubbles on the brush) and roundish seed pods. These 3 plants are referred to, in their mnemonics and nicknames, as bottles. Now when you see a bottle brush (with roundish seed pods) in the field, the first thing to do is determine what kind of bottle it is. Start from the first stage in life: 1) As a baby you drank from a “milk” bottle. Virginia Pepperweed’s nickname is milk bottle because, like a baby it’s hairless (or mostly so) and has tiny hands, which represent the tiny seed pods of the plant. AMENDED: Virginia Pepperweed’s main stem has no ribs. A baby, because of it’s baby fat, appear to have no ribs also. 2) As a teenager you drank from a “soda” bottle. Field Penny Cress is nicknamed soda bottle because you can not only see the fizz/carbonation rising along the inside of the bottle (represented by a longitudinally ribbed main stem); you can also see the coins that come with the plant, to buy sodas from the machine (represented by the large coin-like seed pods). 3) As an adult you can drink out of a “beer” bottle. Field Pepperweed, the plant featured here, is nicknamed beer bottle because, in this case, the beer bottle is associated with a hairy/burly man (represented by the dense hairs all over stems and leaves). Now that you’ve determined that the bottle brush is for a beer bottle (for this particular plant) it’s time for the beer bottle mnemonic... MNEMONIC EXPLAINED: You’re in a survival situation and have found a brown beer bottle on the brown ground (the color brown is associated with beer bottles). Think. What are the best uses for it? Well, beside flint knapping the bottom for arrow heads (which is unlikely without the skill and a deer antler), it’s best use is to break it for a cutting tool. With the sharp glass you can now cut all of the arrow heads you need from the plant’s stems that are covered with them (main stem covered with arrow shaped leaves that are without stalks [like real arrow heads]). Arrow shafts are provided by the plant’s stems too (plant's stems are somewhat erect).
