A botanist's response to hold-ups

Three species of Artemisia
Image: S. Masters

I love the way botanists turn minor irritations and small problems to their advantage, rather than complaining about their lot! 

BSBI member Susanne Masters has emailed from Bhutan, where she is attending an Ethnobiology conference. 

Susanne said "While waiting for road blocks to be cleared, there is always plenty of diversion to be found in the roadside plants. The other day I found three different species of Artemisia growing together. 

Fragrant Bhutanese hot stone baths
Image: S. Masters

"One of them also appears in fragrant Bhutanese hot stone baths - the water is heated by rocks that have been cooked for a couple of hours."

I guess the moral of this tale is: whether you are in Bhutan or Birmingham, waiting for a bus or waiting for a road-block to be cleared, if you don't want life's little hold-ups to ruin your day, keep a hand-lens and an ID book handy. You never know what plants might be lurking nearby, just waiting to be spotted by a passing botanist!