I’m terrible at taxonomy. I’ve tried numerous times over 50 years to train my brain to identify things, but unless I really care about it, I don’t care.

I’m curious, and am constantly looking things up on the Internet, reading history, accumulating hockey or Neil Young trivia, but whenever Amy asks me, what’s that plant, or what’s that giant bug in our kitchen today, I shrug and say, don’t know.

Don’t care.

So when a Canadian colleague asked me about the jacarandas in Brisbane, I responded something like, oh, those trees with the purple leaves that are everywhere and contribute to the natural kaleidoscope that is Brisbane? They’re cool.

I also wouldn’t rely on my taxonomy non-skills to select wild mushrooms.

Unfortunately, Associated Press reports two residents of a Northern California assisted living facility have died and four others are hospitalized after eating soup with wild mushrooms prepared by a caregiver at the facility (who was among the sick).

Sheriff’s Lt. Mark Reed said the caregiver “just didn’t know” the mushrooms were poisonous.