Why the catalog number "x8" for plant with large leaves?

[rob-cubed]

The studs up or down on flowers thread got me to thinking... I have an itching desire to know why the "plant flower stem with three large leaves" is identified as"x8" in the various brick directories:

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=x8

It seems to be originally associated with the "girly" sets like Scala and Belville, which do have other parts starting with an "x" though that naming convention follows no rhyme or reason. For example, some Scala-specific parts begin with "scl" and others that are unique to that line are regular old numbers.

Can any LEGO historians shed light on what the logic was behind these catalog names and why they would have used the "x#" numbering system on just a handful of completely dissimilar elements?

[Aanchir]

Basically, if there is no legible part number (Design ID) on the piece, Bricklink users would make up a placeholder. This is pretty much unnecessary now that part numbers can easily be referenced through either LDD or the LEGO.com replacement parts service, but especially with older parts the issue lives on (bizarrely, even when official part numbers ARE discovered, as with this piece, they are generally listed as "alternates").

Whether there's any rhyme or reason to which parts would get those sorts of placeholder part numbers and which would get theme-specific placeholder part numbers is beyond me. But the point is that, as placeholder part numbers with no official basis, the numbers don't have to mean anything to anybody besides the ones doing the cataloging.

[rob-cubed]

Ah, thank you sir! That annoying itch to know is now scratched.