Damned yellow composite
Encyclopedia
A damned or damn yellow composite (DYC) is a jocular reference to the difficulty of distinguishing many of the numerous species of composite (family Asteraceae
) that have yellow flowers and can be difficult to tell apart in the field. It is sometimes reserved for those yellow composites of no particular interest. Notable individuals who referred to these difficult yellow composites as "DYCs" include Oliver Sacks
and Lady Bird Johnson
. The term is also applied (by replacing the color name) to white flowers.
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
) that have yellow flowers and can be difficult to tell apart in the field. It is sometimes reserved for those yellow composites of no particular interest. Notable individuals who referred to these difficult yellow composites as "DYCs" include Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks
Oliver Wolf Sacks, CBE , is a British neurologist and psychologist residing in New York City. He is a professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia University, where he also holds the position of Columbia Artist...
and Lady Bird Johnson
Lady Bird Johnson
Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 during the presidency of her husband Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for beautification of the nation's cities and highways and conservation of natural resources and made that...
. The term is also applied (by replacing the color name) to white flowers.