Aster amellus Aster amellus Aster amellus, the European Michaelmas-daisy, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus "Aster", belonging to the Asteraceae family. In the language of flowers, the Michaelmas-daisy symbolizes a farewell or a departure. The genus name ("Aster") comes from the Greek and means "star-shaped flower." The specific name ("amellus") is first used in the Georgics (Book IV, 271-280), a poem of the Latin poet Publius Vergilius Maro (70 BC - 19 BC), but the etymology is obscure and uncertain. "Aster amellus" reaches on average a height of . The stem is erect and branched, the leaves are dark green.
Frank the Poet Frank the Poet Frank the Poet (ca. 1810–1861) (real name Francis MacNamara) was a convict, transported to New South Wales from Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland, who composed improvised verse expressing the convict's point of view. In 1832 he was convicted of larceny, and sentenced to seven years transportation. He often absconded and received an extended sentence as well as floggings and other punishments, and was finally sent to the dreaded Port Arthur in Van Diemen's Land. He received a ticket of leave in 1847 and his freedom in 1849, after which there is little record of his life. His verse