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Gornell University Library Ithaca, Nem York

BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE

SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND

THE GIFT OF

HENRY W. SAGE

1891

Cornell Uni ity Lib: ak Siediauil gre

plants (Scottish, Ir

mann

Cornell University

The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924001376171

THE GAELIC NAMES OF PLANTS.

JOHN CAMERON

THE GAELIC NAMES OF PLANTS

(SCOTTISH, IRISH, AND MANX),

COLLECTED AND ARRANGED IN SCIENTIFIC ORDER, WITH NOTES ON THEIR ETYMOLOGY, USES, PLANT SUPERSTITIONS, ETC., AMONG THE CELTS,

WITH COPIOUS GAELIC, ENGLISH,

AND SCIENTIFIC INDICES,

BY

JOHN CAMERON,

SUNDERLAND.

“Wuat’s IN A NAME? THAT WHICH WE CALL A ROSE By ANY OTHER NAME WOULD SMELL AS SWEET.”

—Shakespeare.

NEW AND REVISED EDITION.

GLASGOW : JOHN MACKAY, ‘‘CELTIC MONTHLY” OFFICE, I BLYTHSWOOD DRIVE.

1900.

[All Rights Reserved.]

Fo

«TI study to bring forth some acceptable work: not striving to shew any rare invention that passeth a man’s capacity, but to utter and receive matter of some moment known and talked of long ago, yet over long hath been buried, and, as it seemed, lain dead, for any

fruit it hath shewed in the memory of man.”—Churchward, 1588.

TO THE MEMORY OF MY DEAR WIFE 1 DEDICATE

Dbhis Book.

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

THE Gaelic Names of Plants, reprinted from a series of articles in the ‘Scottish Naturalist,’ which have appeared during the last four years, are published at the request of many who wish to have them in a more convenient form. There might, perhaps, be grounds for hesitation in obtruding on the public a work of this description, which can only be of use to comparatively few ; but the fact that no book exists containing a complete catalogue of Gaelic names of plants is at least some excuse for their publication in this separate form. Moreover, it seemed to many able botanists that, both for scientific and philological reasons, it would be very desirable that an attempt should be made to collect such names as are still used in the spoken Gaelic of Scotland and Ireland, before it became too late by the gradual disappearance of the language. Accordingly the author undertook this task at the request of the Editor of the ‘Scottish Naturalist,’ Dr Buchanan Whyte, F.L.S. If the difficulties of its accomplishment had been foreseen, he would have hesitated to make the attempt; as it is, nearly ten years of his life have been occupied in searching through vocabu- laries, reading Irish and Scottish Gaelic, and generally trying to bring into order the confusion to which these names have been reduced, partly by the carelessness of the compilers of Dictionaries, and frequently by their botanical ignorance. To accomplish this, numerous journeys had to be undertaken among the Gaelic-speaking populations, in order, if possible, to settle dis- puted names, to fix the plant to which the name was applied, and to collect others previously unrecorded.

In studying the Gaelic nomenclature of plants, it soon became evident that no collection would be of any value unless the Irish- Gaelic names were incorporated. Indeed when the lists supplied by Alexander Macdonald (Mac-Mhaighster-Alastair ), published in

viii PREFACE.

his vocabulary in 1741, are examined, they are found to correspond with those in much older vocabularies published in Ireland. The same remark applies, with a few exceptions, to the names of plants in Gaelic supplied by the Rev. Mr Stewart of Killin, given in Lightfoot’s ‘Flora Scotica.’ Undoubtedly, the older names have been preserved in the more copious Celtic literature of Ireland; it is certainly true that “Jn vetustd Hibernicd fundamentum habet” the investigations of Professor O’Curry, O’Donovan, and others, have thrown much light on this as well as upon many other Celtic topics. The Irish names are therefore included, and spelt according to the various methods adopted by the different authorities ; this gives the appearance of a want of uniformity to the spelling not altogether agreeable to Gaelic scholars, but which, under the circumstances, was unavoidable.

It was absolutely essential that the existing Gaelic names should be assigned correctly. The difficulty of the ordinary botanical student was here reversed: he has the plant but cannot tell the name—here the name existed, but the plant required to be found to which the name applied. Again, names had been altered from their original form by transcription and pronunciation ; it became a matter of difficulty to determine the root word. However, the recent progress of philology, the knowledge of the laws that govern the modifications of words in the brotherhood of European languages, when applied to these names, rendered the explanation given not altogether improbable. Celts named plants often from (x), their uses; (2), their appearance ; (3), their habitats; (4), their superstitious associations, &c. The knowledge of this habit of naming was the key that opened many a difficulty.

For the sake of comparison a number of Welsh names is given, selected from the oldest list of names obtainable—those appended to Gerard’s ‘ Herbalist,’ 1597.

The author cannot sufficiently express his obligation to numerous correspondents in the Highlands and in Ireland for assistance in gathering local names; without such help it would have been impossible to make a complete collection. Notably the Rev. A. Stewart, Nether Lochaber, whose knowledge of natural history is unsurpassed in his own sphere; the Very Rev. Canon Bourke, Claremorris, who gave most valuable assistance in the Irish names, particularly in the etymology of many abstruse terms, his accurate

PREFACE, ix

scholarship, Celtic and classical, helping him over many a difficulty. Mr W. Brockie, an excellent botanist and philologist, who some years ago made a collection of Gaelic names of plants which was unfortunately destroyed, placed at the author’s disposal valuable notes and information relative to this subject; and lastly, the accomplished Editor of the ‘Scottish Naturalist,’ who, from its commencement, edited the sheets and secured the correct scientific order of the whole. ; With every desire to make this work as free from errors as possible, yet, doubtless, some have escaped attention ; therefore, any names omitted, any mistake in the naming of the plants, or any other fact tending towards the further elucidation of this sub- ject will be thankfully received for future addition, correction, or

amendment. JOHN CAMERON.

SUNDERLAND, January, 1883.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

Tuis edition is largely extended by additional Gaelic, Irish, and Manx names of plants, the greatest care being taken to fix the exact scientific equivalents of the popular plant and flower names. Many more Irish names are added, mainly from Threlkeld’s ‘Synopsis Stirpium Hibernicarum’ (1728); also Manx names from list published in ‘Yn Lioar Manninagh,’ by Messrs. Moore, Quayle, Ralfe, Roeder, etc. ; other names are to be found in the Manx dictionaries, but they are not to be relied on.

With respect to the etymologies of many of the Gaelic names the author rather suggests than maintains with much tenacity the infallibility of the etymologies given. A book that purposes to deal with the legends and superstitions of plants could not ignore altogether the popular idea of the meaning of the names. Not- withstanding the great results of recent Celtic scholarship, many terms are obscure and impossible of explanation. Dr Murray, of dictionary fame, in a recent speech said that the fact was, we knew very little about etymology and the way in which words had arisen. After the discovery of Sanskrit, it was fondly supposed that Aryan roots existed (if they could be found) for most of our words ; but this does not apply to all English or Gaelic words.

This book aims at giving in a condensed form as much informa- tion as possible (regarding the subject from a Celtic point of view) of the legends, superstitions, plant lore, uses, medicinal value, and diffusion of the knowledge of simples among the Celtic peasantry. Clan badges have been re-examined and determined with more accuracy. The poetic quotations have been revised and errors corrected, thanks to Mr Henry Whyte (the well-known Fionn of Celtic literature), to whom the author, as well as all Gaelic scholars, is under a deep obligation.

PREFACE. xi

With this the author finishes his study of the ‘Gaelic Names of Plants”—a subject that has occupied his spare time for many years.

JOHN CAMERON.

SUNDERLAND, March, rg00.

At the request of several of the subscribers, the publisher has inserted a portrait of the author, by Mr. R. E. Ruddock, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.

Aisbitt, R., Seaham Harbour

Alder, Dr., Sunderland

Allan, William, M.P., D.L., Sunderland (2 copies) Arnott, Mrs., Blythswood Drive, Glasgow

Barrett, F. T., for Mitchell Library, Glasgow Biggam, William, M.A., Sunderland Bowey, F. M., Sunderland

Breckon, J. R., Sunderland

Burgess, Captain A., Gairloch, Ross-shire Burns, Robert J., M.R.C.S , Sunderland Burns, William, J.P., Sunderland

Cameron, Angus, Blair-Atholl (2 copies) Cameron, Archibald, Sunderland Cameron, A. E., Sunderland

Cameron, C., New York, U.S.A. Cameron, C. J., Sunderland

Cameron, D., Jersey City, U.S.A. Cameron, Donald A., Southland, New Zealand Cameron, E. G., Philadelphia, U.S.A. Cameron, H. R., Sunderland

Cameron, Captain John, Fort William Cameron, J. W., New York, U.S.A. Cameron, Mrs., Hyde Park, London Cameron, Paul, Pitlochrie

Cameron, Robert, M.P., London Cameron, T., New York, U.S.A. Campbell, Sir Duncan, of Barcaldine, Bart. Campbell, James A., of Barbreck Campbell, Miss S., Oude, India Chisholm, Mrs. Maria F., of Glassburn Christie, A., J.P., Falkirk

Clark, D., Waipahi, Otago, New Zealand

xiv LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.

Coates, John, Sunderland (2 copies) Colquhoun, Sir James, of Luss, Bart. Colquhoun, Niel Campbell, Glasgow Corder, Alexander, Sunderland Cowan, George, Edinburgh

Cowell, R., Sunderland

Davies, L. R., Sunderland

Dempsey, Cormac, New York, U.S.A.

Dewar, Rev. James, The Manse, Arroquhar

Duffy, James, & Co., Booksellers, Dublin

Dundee Free Library, Albert Institute (per J. Maclauchlan)

Edward Pease Library, Darlington (per William Jarrow Smith)

Fairless, Alderman, J.P., Sunderland Farquharson, Mrs., M. R. M. S., of Houghton Fenwick, J. C., L.R.C.P., Sunderland

Fowler, Dr., Sunderland

Gateshead Public Library (per H. E. Johnston) Gilhome, William, Sunderland

Gordon, H. Panmure, London

Gourley, Sir Edward, M.P., Sunderland Gowland, C. J., Sunderland

Heron, Dr. Francis, Co. Dublin Hughes, Miss Maud, B.Sc., Holywell, North Wales

Jacks, William, LL.D., Glasgow

Joass, Rev. J. M., D.D., The Manse, Golspie

Joicey, Sir James, Bart., Longhurst, Northumberland Kirtley, J. G., Sunderland

Key, W., Sunderland

Leeds Public Library (per Thomas W. Hand) Limmer, Professor H., Germany

Lowe, Dr., Sunderland

Lyness, Robert C., Sunderland

Macaulay, D. J., M.D., Halifax

Mackay, Eneas, Stirling

Mackay, J. G., C.C., Portree, Skye

Mackay, Councillor William, Solicitor, Inverness

Mackenzie, Rev. D. F., M.A., M.D., Langside Free Church, Glasgow Mackenzie, William, Church Street, Inverness

Mackenzie, W. Dalziel, of Farr

LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS. XV

Mackerchar, John, Treasurer, Gaelic Society of London Mackintosh, D. A. S., Bertrohill, Shettleston Mackintosh, Duncan, Secretary, Gaelic Society of Inverness Maclagan, R. C., M.D., Edinburgh

Maclean, Alexander Scott, M.I.M.E., Greenock Maclennan, Rev. Malcolm, Edinburgh

Macleod, Donald, H.M.I.S., Ancaster Drive, Glasgow Macleod, John N., Sunderland

Macleod, Murdoch D., M.D., E. Yorks

Macleod, Norman, Bookseller, Edinburgh (3 copies) MacNeill, Nicol, Argentine Republic

NacNicol, John, Conispy, Islay

Macrae, Charles M., M.D., Stornoway

Macrae, Murdoch, Gairloch, Ross-shire Macrae-Gilstrap, Major John, Argyllshire

Morrison, Hew, for Edinburgh Public Library

Morison, Dr. W. M., Annfield Plains

Newcastle-on-Tyne Public Library

Newcastle-on-Tyne Literary and Philosophical Society (per Henry Richardson)

Newton, G., Bournemouth

Nicholson, John S., South Shields

Potts, Edward, Sunderland Pierce, Ellis, Bookseller, Dolyddelen, North Wales Pyke, J., for Public Library, South Shields

Ranken, C., F.C.S., Sunderland Reay, John, Sunderland Richardson, N., Sunderland Robertson, W. J., Manchester Robson, S., Sunderland

Rule, John, Sunderland

Sampson, Low, Marston & Co., London. Shaw, T. E. A. A., Sunderland

Smith, Ralph, Sunderland

Steel, Thomas, J.P., Sunderland

Stewart, Colonel John Lorne, of Coll Storey, Kelso, Sunderland

Sunderland Public Library (per B. R. Hill)

Vincent, C., Mus. Doc., New College, Oxford Vincent, G., Sunderland Vincent, William, Sunderland

THE GAELIC NAMES OF PLANTS.

EXOGENS.

RANUNCULACEA,

Thalictrum.—/(Oaddes, ¢hallos, a green branch).

Gaelic: rugh, ri, ruigh, Rue (or plants resembling Ruta

Trish: ruibh, } graveolens.) See Gerard.

T. alpinum.—/z ailpeach: Alpine meadow-rue.

T. minus.—z deag. Lesser meadow-rue. RUE is nearly the same in most of the ancient languages; said to be from vw, to flow; Gaelic—ruzth, flow, rush; their roots, especially 7: flavum, possessing powerful cathartic qualities like rhubarb. Compare also rz, rain, a secret, mystery, love, desire, grace. Welsh: runa, hieroglyphics (Runic). The Thalictrum of Pliny is supposed to. be the meadow-rue. (See Freund’s Lexicon.)

“ Oir a ta sibh a toirt deachaimh a moinnt, agus a rd, agus gach uile ghné luibhean.’’—For ye tithes mint and rue, and all manner of herbs,

Manx: ya lossery dy ghrayse. The herb of grace, used for sprinkling holy water.

“‘T'll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace.” SHAKESPEARE.

The Rue of Shakespeare is generally supposed to be Ruza graveolens (Rd géraidh), a plant belonging to another order, and not indigenous.

Hepatica.— Dike Aubrinn (Threl), dike is written for “ Dithean” and Audrinn for “ Abraoin” April, the April flower. It blooms early in the Spring.

Anemone nemorosa.—Wind-flower, Gaelic: plir na gaoithe, wind-flower (Armstrong). Welsh: Zysiau’r gwynt, wind-flower because some of the species prefer windy habitats. Irish: ead caillich, old woman’s nest. ead is an alteration of the old Irish neidh, the wind; and Cazlleach, the first week in Spring— then the wind flower begins to bloom. Manx: /us ny geayee, wind wort.

Ranunculus,—From Latin, vana, a frog, because some of the- A

2

species inhabit humid places frequented by that creature, or because some of the plants have leaves resembling in shape a frog’s foot. Ranunculus is also sometimes called crowfoot. The Buttercup family. Gaelic: cearban, raggy, from its divided leaves. Gair-cean, Gairghin—from gdair,a crow. Welsh: crafrange y fran, crows’ claws. Manx: spag sfeeach, raven’s claw.

R. aquatilis—Water crowfoot. Gaelic: fleann uisge, probably from /eanna, a spear, and wisge, water, Waterspear. Lion na Raibhne, the river-flax. Irish: meul uisge,—neul, a star. Tuir chis,—tuir, a lord; chis, purse (from its numerous achenes). This plant generally grows in still water or ponds the flowers forming a beautiful sheet of white on the surface.

R ficaria—Lesser celandine. Gaelic: grain-aigein, that which produces loathing. Irish: gran arcain; gran, grain; arc, a pig. Searraiche (Armstrong), according to O'Reilly, Searraigh. Welsh: toddedig wen, fire dissolvent; todd, melt, dissolve. This little buttercup, oftener called the “‘pilewort,” is one of our earliest flowers. Its roots are still used as a cure for piles, corns, &c.

R. flammula—Spearwort. Gaelic: g/as-deun—glas, green ; /eun, a swamp. Lasair-leana—lasair,a flame, and /eana or /eun, a swamp, a spear. Welsh: d/aer y guaew, lance-point. Manx— lus y binjey, rennet wort. It was one of the plants formerly used for curdling milk. Zus sheig. (In Scotch Gaelic, s/eagh, a spear.)

R. Auricomus—Goldilocks. Gaelic: fol/asgain; probably from follais, conspicuous. Irish: foloscain, a tadpole. The Gaelic may be a corruption from the Irish, or w7e versd; also gruag Mhuire, Mary’s locks.

R. repens—Creeping crowfoot. Gaelic: duigheag, the yellow one. Irish: dairgin, more frequently dairghin, a pilgrim's habit. Learban—fearba, killing, destroying. The whole of this family are full of acrid, poisonous juices.

R. acris—Upright meadow crowfoot. Gaelic: cearban fedir, the grass rag. Irish: the same name. This plant and 2. flam- mula were used in the Highlands, applied in rags (cearban), for raising blisters,

R. Bulbosus—Bulbous crowfoot. Gaelic: fwile (sometimes tuile) thalmhuinn, blood of the earth (it exhausts the soil).

3 R. Sceleratus—Celery-leaved crowfoot. Gaelic and Irish:

torachas biadhain ; probably means food of which one would be afraid.

Caltha palustris—Marsh marigold. Gaelic: a chorrach shod, the clumsy one of the marsh. Threlkeld has ‘‘corr a h’ot” applied to the bog bean (Menyanthes). Lus bhuidhe Bealltuinn, the yellow plant of Beltane or May—Je/ or Baad, the sun-god, and teine, fire. The name survives in many Gaelic names—e.g., Zudlt- beltane, the high place of the fire of Baad.

“* Beith a’s calltuinn latha-Beal/tuinn.” MACKAY. Birch and hazel first day of May. Bearnan. Bealltuinn. The orbicular leaves are notched. Irish: plubairsin from plubrach, plunging. Lus Mairi, Marywort, Marygold. Manx: Blughtyn. Lus airh, gold weed, used as a charm against fairies and witches.

Helleborus viridis.—Green hellebore. Gaelic: edebor, a corrup- tion of helleborus (from the Greek éAAé, elein, to cause death; and Bopos, doros, food—poisonous food). Dathabha, O' Reilly, Dahough (Threlkeld), and Dahou ban (Threl)—dropwort. These three names, though differently spelt, evidently refer to something common to the plants so named, the predominant quality being ‘that they are all violently poisonous. The “hellebore” was used by the ancient Celts to poison the arrows, and the “dropwort” to avenge their enemies by poison. Daz colour has not anything to do with the names. More probably dazh or dd¢h to burn, to seize, and, in Irish Gaelic, dattheoir, an avenger. Many plants of the hellebore family are noted for producing blisters, and were formerly used for that purpose. Manx: 4/aa Wolic, Christmas flower.

H, foetidus——Stinking hellebore. AZeacan sleibhe, the hill-plant.

Aquilegia vulgaris—Columbine. Gaelic: /us a’ cholamain, the -dove’s plant. Irish: cvuba-leisin—tfrom cruda, crouching, and /ezse, thigh or haunch; suggested by the form of the flower. Lusan stholam (O'Reilly), pigeon’s flower. Welsh: ¢roed y glomen, naked woman’s foot. Manx: /us yn ushtey vio, plant of the living water.

Aconitum napellus—Monkshood. Gaelic: /uath mhadhaidh (Shaw), the wolf’s aversion. Cuzvrachd manaich (Armstrong), monkshood. Welsh: ddeiddag—from 4d/eidd, a wolf, and ‘Zag, choke.

4

Nigella damascena—Chase-the devil. Gaelic: /us an fhograidh,. the pursued plant. Irish: Jus mhic Raonazl, MacRonald’s wort.. Not indigenous, but common in gardens.

Peeonia officinalis—Peony. Gaelic: /us a phione. A corruptiom of Fon, the physician who first used it in medicine, and cured! Plato of a wound inflicted by Hercules. Welsh: d/adeu'r brenin, the king’s flower. Irish: lus phoine. Meacan casa beanine, female peony; and meacan easa firine, male peony. Old herbalists used to distinguish between two varieties of the peony, and named them male and female. This was a mere fanciful distinction, and had no reference to the real functions of the stamens and pistils of plants; but yet there existed a vague idea from time immemorial that fecundation was in some degree analogous to sexual relationship, as in animals—hence such allusions as “ Zarbh coille,” “ Dair na colle,” etc. (‘Wood bull,” “Fecundation of the wood.”)

BERBERIDACE#.

Berberis vulgaris—Barberry. Gaelic: darérag (a corruption: from Arabic darddris, the barberry tree. Preas nan geur dhearc, the sour berry-bush. Preas dei/gneach, the prickly bush. Irish: barbrog.

NYMPHACE&. (From vupdij, nymphe, a water-nymph, referring to their habitats.)-

Nymphea alba—White water-lily Gaelic: duileag bhaite bhan,. the drowned white leaf. Cuzrinin (O'Reilly). **Feur lochain is tachair, An cinn an duilleag bhaite.” MACINTYRE. Water, grass, and alge, Where the water-lily grows. “O ili, righ nam fltran.”—MACDONALD. O lily, king of flowers. Bior ros, meaning water rose. Rabhagach, giving caution or warning; a beacon. Lzéi bhan, white lily. Welsh: Liti-r-dw/fr, water-lily. Irish: dué//ite (Shaw).

Nuphar luteum.—Yellow water-lily. Gaelic: duilleag bhaite: bhuidhe, the yellow drowned leaf. Lili bhuidhe’n uisge, yellow water-lily. Irish: /ach doghar, the bright flag. Cabhan abhainn—- cabhan, a hollow plain; and aéhainn, of the river.

5

PAPAVERACEA,

Papaver rhoeas—Poppy. Gaelic: mei/bheag, sometimes Jei/bheag, a little pestle (to which the capsule has some resemblance).

“Le meilbheag, le nedinean, ’s le slan-lus.”—MAcLEOD. With a poppy, daisy, and rib-grass.

JLothros, corn-rose—from ioth (Irish), corn; 7ds, rose. Cromlus, ‘bent weed. Paipean ruadh—ruadh, red; and paipean a corruption of papaver, from papa, pap, or pappo, to eat of pap. The juice was formerly put into children’s food to make them sleep. Welsh: pabi, Irish: dlath nam bodaigh, old men’s flower. Cathleach- dearg (O'Reilly). Cochcifoide (Shaw). Corn poppy. Welsh: diygad y cythraul, the devil’s eye. Cathleach may perhaps be connected with cath/unn corn and dearg red, but Shaw’s name is altogether dubious and meaningless.

P. somniferum—Common opium poppy. Gaelic: codalian, from codal or cadal, sleep. Collaidin ban, white poppy.

P. nigram sativum—/aipean dubh, black poppy. Manx: lus y chadlee, the plant for sleep.

Chelidonium majus—Common celandine (a corruption of xeddav, chelidon, a swallow). Gaelic: an ceann ruadh, the red head. The flower is yellow, not red. Irish: /acha cheann ruadh, the red-headed duck. Welsh: “sie y wennol, swallow-wort. Aonsgoch is another Gaelic name for swallow-wort, meaning ‘swallow-flower—aon, a swallow; and sgoth, a flower. Scotch ‘Gaelic name for a swallow, azn/ag. Manx: lus y ghollan gheayee, ‘swallow herb, formerly used by herbalists as a cure for cancer.

Glaucium luteum—Yellow horned poppy. Gaelic: darrag ruadh (?), the valiant or strong head. The flower is yellow, not red.

FUMARIACEZ. (From fumus, smoke. ‘The smoke of these plants being said by the ancient exorcists to have the power of expelling evil Spirits” (Jones) French: fume terre.

Fumaria officinalis—Fumitory. Gaelic: dus deathach thalmhuinn Armstrong), the earth-smoke plant. Irish: deatach thalmhuinn (O’Reilly), earth-smoke. Welsh: mwg y ddaer, earth-smoke. The allusion being to tre disagreeable smell of the plant when burning. Another Irish name is caman scarraigh (O’Reilly)—caman, crooked,

6

and scaradh, to scatter. Fuaim an ¢’Siorraigh, a humorous play on the words “fumaria officinalis.” Manx: booa-ghodayn. Main tenagh (Threl)—It is difficult to know the meaning implied in this. peculiar name. By main is probably meant magh, a field; and by éexagh, our word eine, fire. The field fire, instead of ‘‘earth smoke.” It grows often in potato and cornfields, with small emerald leaves and pink flowers. A variety of it grows frequently on old thatched roofs, having long fragile stems and small whitish flowers, and is known in some places by the names of Fliodh an tugha and Fliodh mor—( Corydalis claviculata).

CRUCIFERA. (From Latin crux, cructs, a cross; and fevo, to bear, the petals being arranged crosswise). Wallflowers and stocks are examples. of this order.

Crambe maritima—Seakale. Gaelic: praiseag tragha, the shore pot-herb—from the Irish prazseach, Gaelic praiseag, a little pot (a common name for pot-herbs). Ca/ na mara, sea-kale (from Greek, xavdos; Latin, cau/is; German, fokl; Saxon, cawl,; English, cole or kale, Irish, caZ; Welsh, caz/; Manx, caal hraie, shore kale.

Isatis tinctoria—Woad. The ancient Celts used to stain their bodies with a preparation from this plant. Its pale-blue hue was. supposed to enhance their beauty, according to the fashion of the time. Gaelic: guzvmean, the blue one Irish and Gaelic: g/as dus, pale-blue weed. Welsh: g/as /ys. Formerly called Glastum.

“Ts glas mo luaidh.”—OssIAN. Pale-blue is the subject of my praise. On account of the brightness of its manufactured colours, the Celts called it gazed (guede in French to this day (whence the Saxon zwad and the English woad.

Thlaspi arvense—Penny-cress. Gaelic: pratseach féidh, deer’s. pot-herb. Irish: preaseach fiadh, a deer’s pot-herb

Capsella Bursa-pastoris—Shepherd’s purse. Gaelic: /us na Jola, the blood-weed; ax sporan, the purse. Irish: svaidin, a spark or star. Welsh: pwrs y dugail, shepherd’s purse (dugail, from Greek (vxdAos, a shepherd).

Cochlearia officinalis—Scurvy grass. Gaelic: am maraich. Latin: amarus, bitter. Carran, the thing for scurvy, possessing:

7

antiscorbutic properties. “Plaigh na carra,” the plague of leprosy (Stuart), “Dune aig am bheil carr,” a man who has the scurvy (Stuart in Lev.) Manx: /us-y-vinniag, pinch herb. Kelly explains “minniag” or “minniag merrin” as that lividity called dead men’s nips or pinches, which is no more than the symptoms of scurvy. Welsh: mor dwyau, sea-spoons; dlysie’r biwg, scurvy-grass (from blwg, scurvy). Irish: dcolair tragha—biolair, dainty; and ¢ragha, shore or sea-shore. It grows also on mountain tops.

Armoracia rusticana ( Avmoracia, a name of Celtic origin, “from ar, land; mor or mar, the sea; ris, near to).” This derivation is doubtful. English: 4orse-radish. Gaelic: meacan each, the horse- plant. Irish: racada/, perhaps the same as rotecal, Scotch: rotcoll (Macbain).

Raphanus raphanistrum—Radish. Gaelic: meacan ruadh, the reddish plant, from the colour of the root. Irish: fadh roidis, wild radish. Razdis (Armstrong). Curran dhearg (O'Reilly), the red root.

R. maritimus—Sea radish. Irish: meacan ragum usce (O’Reilly). Raibhe—radish, from Latin raphanus.

Cardamine pratensis—Cuckoo flower, ladies’ smock. Gaelic: plur na cubhaig, the cuckoo-flower. Gleoran, from gleofe, hand- some, pretty. The name is given to other cresses as well. Biolair- ghriagain, the bright sunny dainty.

Cakile maritimum—Sea gilly-flower rocket. Gaelic: fearsaid- eag,; meaning uncertain, but probably from Irish saide, a seat (Latin, sedes), the sitting individual—from its procumbent habit. Gearr bochdan.

Nasturtium officinalis—-Water-cress. Gaelic: d7o/air, a dainty, or that which causes the nose to smart, hence agreeing with nasturtium (Latin: nasus, the nose, and fortus, tormented. Durlus —dur, water, and dus, plant. Dobhar-lus—dobhar, water. Welsh: berwyr dwfr, water-cress. The Gaelic and Irish bards used these names indefinitely for all cresses.

‘Sa bhiolair luidneach, shliom-chluasach. Glas, chruinn-cheannach, chaoin ghorm-neulach ; Is i fas glan, uchd-ard, gilmeineach, Fuidh barr geal iomlan, sonraichte.”—MACINTYRE.

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Its drooping, smooth, green, round-leaved water-cress growing so radiantly, breast-high, trimly ; under its remarkably perfect white flower. “Dobhrach bhallach mhin.”—MAcINTYRE. Smooth-spotted water-cress.” Biorar—BiorS heir, water-cress. Bior, water. Welsh: Berwr y adwr. Berwr, cress; dwr, water. Biolar Frang—French cress or garden cress.

A curious old superstition respecting the power of this plant as a charm to facilitate milk-stealing was common in Scotland and Ireland. ‘Not long ago, an old woman was found, on a May morning, at a spring well, cutting the tops of water-cresses with a pair of scissors, muttering strange words, and the names of certain persons who had cows, also the words—“’ S deamsa leth do chuid- sa” (half thine is mine). She repeated these words as often as she cut a sprig, which personated the individual she intended to rob of his milk and cream.” ‘Some women make use of the root of groundsel as an amulet against such charms, by putting it amongst the cream.”—-Martin. Among the poorer classes, water- cress formed a most important auxiliary to their ordinary food. “Tf they found a plot of water-cresses or shamrock, there they flocked as to a feast for the time.” SPENCER.

Sisymbrium sophia—Flixweed. Gaelic: fimeal Mhuire, the Virgin Mary’s fennel. Welsh: piddys, pipe-weed. Manx: Zus-y- Jtargey, flux-herb, used for curing flux. Flux was a terrible scourge in Britain and the Isle of Man in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Erysimum alliaria and officinalis—Garlic mustard, sauce alone. Gaelic: garbhraitheach, rough, threatening. Garrleach colluid, hedge garlick. Manx: mustard chleigee, hedge mustard

Cheiranthus cheiri—Wallflower, gilly-flower. Gaelic: lus leth an t-samhraidh, half the summer plant. Irish: the same Welsh: bloden gorphenaf, July flower or gilly-flower. Wedgewood says gilly-flower is from the French grofiée. Manx: baa yn eail Eoin, the flower of St. John’s Feast.

Matthiola incana—Stock. Pincin (O'Reilly). The “Queen Stock ” of the gardens, well known to every one.

Brassica rapa—Common turnip. Gaelic, zeup,; Irish, netp ; Welsh, maipen; Scotch, neep (and navew, French, navet),; corrup- tions from Latin napus.

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B. campestris—Wild navew. Gaelic: meup fhiadhain, wild ‘turnip.

B. oleracea—Sea-kale or cabbage. Gaelic and Irish: prazseach bhaidhe, the pot-herb of the wave (éaidhke, in Irish, a wave). Morran—mor (Welsh), the sea, its habitat the seaside. Cal olbhairvt—the kale with stout fleshy stalks (from colbf, a stalk of a plant, and av¢, flesh), ca/ or cadhal. Welsh: caw/, kale. Gaelic: .cal-cearslach (cearslach, globular), cabbage; cal gruidhean (with grain like flowers), cauliflower ; co/ag (a little cabbage), cauliflower ; _garadh cail, a kitchen garden. Rotheach tragha (O'Reilly).

‘©?Dh ’itheadh biolair an fhuarain °S air bu shuarach an cdl.”—MACDONALD. That would eat the cress of the wells, And consider kale contemptible.

Sinapis arvensis—Charlock, wild mustard. Gaelic: marag bhuidhe or amharag, from amh, raw or pungent. Sceallan—sceall, _ashield. Sgealag (Shaw)—sgealpach, biting. Mustard—from the English. ‘

‘Mar ghrdinne de shlol mustaird.”’—STUART. Like a grain of mustard-seed. ‘The mustard of Scripture, “Sa/vadora persica,” was a tree twenty feet high, therefore it could not be our mustard. Cas or Gas- na conachta (O'Reilly). Cas an thunnagta (Threl). Gaelic: praiseach garbh, the rough pot-herb.

Subularia aquatica—Ruideog is given by O’Donovan “as bogawl, a kind of butterweed growing in bogs (County of Monaghan).” Awl wort. May possibly be from the old Irish name vuif, a dart or short spear. , It is a small plant found in ‘shallow edges of alpine ponds and lakes. It rarely exceeds two -or three inches in height, leaves cylindrical, slender, and pointed like little awls, hence the name awl wort.

RESEDACEZ. Reseda luteola—Weld, yellow weed. Gaelic: lus buidhe mor, the large yellow weed. Irish: duidhe mor, the large yellow. Welsh: Zyste Ziiu, dye-wort. Reseda, from Latin resedo.

CISTACEA. (From Greek «tory, Riste, a box or capsule, from ,their peculiar capsules. Latin: cista Gaelic: ciste. Danish: iste.)

ite)

Helianthemum vulgare—Rock-rose. Gaelic: gvian rds, sun- rose; plilr na gréine, flower of the sun (also heliotrope). Welsh: blodaw’r haul, sun-flower,

Badge of the Clan Fergusson.

VIOLACEZ. (From Greek iov, zon, a violet-—the food given to the cow, Io, one of Jupiter’s mistresses.)

Viola odorata—Sweet violet. Gaelic: /ail-chuach, scented bowl]; faz/e, scent, and cwach, a bowl hollow as a nest; also cuckoo. Scotch: guaich, cogie (dim.), a drinking-cup. Manx: daa villish, sweet bloom.

“ Faile chuachaig ar wachdar an fheoir.” —MACFARLANE. Scented violet on the top of the grass. V. canina—Dog-violet. Gaelic: dai? chuach, field-bowl (dazd,. a field). Danish: dad, a valley. ‘*Gun sobhrach gun dail chuach, Gun lus uasal air carn.” —MACINTYRE.

.

Without primrose or violet, Or a gay flower on the heap.

Sail chuach—sail, a heel (from its spur), cuckoo’s heel. “ Coille is guirme sail chuach.”—OLD SONG. A wood where violets are bluest.

Irish: d1odh a leithid, the world’s paragon; also fanazsge, probably from fann, weak, faint, agreeing in meaning with the Welsh name crinilys, a fragile weed.

V. tricolor—Heart’s-ease pansy. Irish: goirmin searradh, spring blue. Gaelic: spdg, no brig na cubhaig, cuckoo’s claw or shoe. Manx: kiwnid fea ash chree, heart’s ease.

DROSERACEZ. (From Greek dpocepés, droseros, dewy, because the plants appear as if covered with dew).

Drosero rotundifolia—Round-leaved sundew. Gaelic: vds an ?’solats, sun-rose or flower; geald-ruidhe or dealt ruaidhe, very red dew; Jus an Earnaich. “Earnach” was the name given to a ‘distemper among cattle, caused by eating a poisonous herb—some- say the sun-dew. Others, again, aver the sun-dew was an effectual remedy. Thi§ plant was much employed among Celtic tribes for dyeing the hair. Irish: e7? driichd (e7/, to rob, and driichd, dew)

It

the one that robs the dew); dviichdin mona, the dew of , the hill. Manx: @us-y-drilight. Welsh: doddedig rudd—dodd, twisted thread, and rudd red, the plant being covered with red hairs. Drichd na muine, the dew of the hill. Gil driugh (Threl)—Our word, gi//e,a lad, a servant; and drichd, dew. This interesting little plant is very common in the Highlands, growing among the white bog moss (sphagnum). It has little red spoon-like leaves, with red hairs, and always covered with dew drops. It grows and’ lives on small black insects, which are grasped and absorbed by’ the leaves. POLYGALACEZ. (From Greek roAv, oly, much; and yada, gala, milk).

Polygala vulgaris—Milk-wort. Gaelic: Jus a’ bhainne, milk- wort. Irish: Zwsan bainne, the same meaning, alluding to the reputed effects of the plants on cows that feed upon it.

CARYOPHYLLACEZ.

Saponaria officinalis—Soapwort, bruisewort. Lus an ?siabuinn. The whole plant is bitter, and was formerly used to cure cutaneous diseases. Welsh: sedond/ys, the same meaning (sebon, soap). Manx: drellish heabinagh (brellish—wort). Soap wort. Latin sapo, so called probably because the bruised leaves produce

lather like soap. Soap was a Celtic invention. ** Procdest et safo. Gallorum hoc inventum. Rutilandis capillis, ex sevo et cinere.”—PLINY. ‘* Soap is good—that invention of the Gauls—for reddening the hair out of grease and ash.”

Lychnis flos-cuculi—Ragged Robin. Gaelic: pir na cubhaig, the cuckoo flower ; currachd na cubhaig, the cuckoo’s hood ; caorag Zeana, the marsh spark.

L. diurna—Red campion. Gaelic: cirean corlich, cockscomb; in some places corcan coille, red woodland flower.

L. githago—Corn-cockle. Gaelic: drd¢ na cubharg, the cuckoo’s shoe. Lus lotbheach, stinking weed. Jothros, corn rose. Irish: cogall,* from coch (Welsh), red; hence cock/e. French: cogudlle. Welsh: gzth, cockle or its seed, a corruption from gi/hago, or vice versa,

Spergula arvensis—Spurrey. Gaelic: c/wain ln (also corran lin) —cluain, fraud, and fim, flax—dze., fraudulous flax. Carran,

1 This plant is sometimes called currachd na cubhaig, and cochal—(hood or cowl). Latin: cucullus.

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‘twisted or knotted, from ars, rough (Macbain). Scotch: yarr. Trish: cabrois—cab, a head; rots, polished. Manx: carran. “Gun deanntag, gun charran ”—MACDONALD. Without nettle or spurrey.

Arenaria alsine—Sandwort. Gaelic: ge, perhaps from /ége, water, growing in watery or sandy places.

Stellaria media—Chickweed. Gaelic: jfodh, an excrescence (Armstrong), sometimes written fu¢h. Irish: Za, wetting (Gaelic: fiuich, wet); compare also floch, soft (Latin: flaccus). Welsh: gwlydd, the soft or tender plant. Manx: jg.

S. holostea—The greater stitchwort. Gaelic: tirseach, sad. dejected. Irish: svrsarrain, the same meaning; and Stellaria graminea, /rsarranin, the lesser stitchwort. Welsh: y wenn- -wlydd, the fair soft stemmed plant, from gwen and gw'ydd, soft tender stem.

Cherleria sedoides—Mossy cyphel, found plentifully on Ben Lawers. No Gaelic name, but sedrsa coinich, a kind of moss.

Cerastium alpinum—Mouse-eared chickweed. Gaelic: cluas

.an luch, mouse-ear. LINACE&.

Linum usitatissimum—Flax. Gaelic: /on, gen. singular, Zin. Welsh: in, “Greek Aivoy and Latin “num, a thread, are derived from the Celtic.”—Loupon.

“Jarraidh i olann agus Zton,””—STuART (Job). She will desire wool and flax. ‘¢ Méirle salainn ’s méirle frois, Méirl’ o nach fhaigh anam clos ; Gus an teid an t-iasg air tir, Cha ’n fhaigh méirleach an iz clos.”

“This illustrates the great value attached to salt and lint, ‘especially among a fishing population, at a time when the duty on -salt was excessive, and lint was cultivated in the Hebrides.” Sheriff NicoLson.

L. catharticum—Fairy flax. Gaelic: on na mand sith, fairy woman’s flax; mosach, monthly, from a medicinal virtue it was ‘supposed to possess; mzonach, bowels; dus caolach, slender weed ; compare also cao/an, intestine (Latin: colon, the large intestine). Both names probably allude to its cathartic effects. Stuart, in Lightfoot’s “Flora,” gives these names in a combined form—an

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caol miosachan, the slender monthly one. Irish: ceolagh ; ceol,. music. ‘It’s little bells made fairy music.” MALVACE.

Latin: malve, mallows. Gaelic: malotmh, from Greek paddxn, matache, soft, in allusion to the soft mucilaginous properties of the- plants.

‘A gearradh sios maloimh laimh ris na preasaibh, agus freumhan aiteil mar

bhiadh.”—StTuart (Job. xxx. 4). ‘*Who cut up madlows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.”

Welsh: meddalat, what softens. Gaelic: mi? mheacan, honey- plant; gropazs or grobais (Macdonald) from Gothic, gvob, English, grub, to dig. The roots were dug, and boiled to obtain mucilage..

Malva rotundifolia—Dwarf mallow. Gaelic and Irish: ucas Frangach— ucas from Irish uc, need, whence uchd, a breast (Greek, 6x n—the mucilage being used as an emollient for breasts—and Frangach, French—i.e., the French mallow.

M. sylvestris—Common mallow. Gaelic: ucas fiadhain, wild mallow. Manx: Lus na meala mor, lus ny maol Moirrey, Mary’s servant’s plant. The common mallow was probably distinguished by the word ‘“éég,” in Manx little, and the large one, /avatera’ arborea, by “mor,” big.

Altheea officinalis—Marsh-mallow. Gaelic and Irish: Zamhadh,. perhaps from /eamhach, insipid; fochas, itch, a remedy for the- itch (ochas, itch). Welsh: morhocys—mor, the sea, and hocys, phlegm-producer, it being used for various pulmonary complaints. Welsh: Ros mall.

TILIACEZ.

Tilia europea—Lime-tree, linden. Gaelic: craobh thetle. Trish:

crann tetle—teile,a corruption from ¢éia. Welsh: pis gwydden. HYPERICACE.

Hypericum perforatum—-The perforated St. John’s wort. Gaelic and Irish: eala bhuidhe (sometimes written eala bhi), pro- bably from ea/ (for neu), aspect, appearance, and bdbhuidhe or bhi,

yellow. “¢ Sobhrach a’s eala bhi’s barra neoinean.”—MACINTYRE. Primrose, St. John’s wort, and daisies. ** An eala bhuidhe ’san neoinean ban °S an t’sobhrach an gleann fas, nan luibh Anns am faigheadh an leighe liathe Furtach fiach, do chreuch a’s lebn.”—-CoLLaTH. In the glen where the St. John’s wort, the white daisy, and the primrose - grow, the grey doctor will find a valuable remedy for every disease and wound..

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“ The belief was common among the Caledonians that for al]

the diseases to which mankind is liable, there grows an herb somewhere, and not far from the locality where the particular -disease prevails, the proper application of which would cure it.” MACKENZIE. Allas Mhuire (Mhuire, the Virgin Mary; aé/as, perhaps another form of the preceding names)—Mary’s image, which would agree with the word Aypericum. According to Linnaeus, it is derived from Greek vrép, uper, over, and eixy, eckon, an image—that is to say, the superior part of the flower represents an image.

Caod aslachan Cholum chille, from Colum and cil/ (church, cell), ‘St. Columba’s flower, the saint of Iona, who reverenced it and carried it in his arms (caod)—(Irish), caodam, to come, and aslachan, arms, it being dedicated to his favourite evangelist, St. John. Seud, a jewel. Lus an fhograidh. “Formerly it was carried about by the people of Scotland as a charm against witchcraft and enchantment” (Don). Welsh: y /endigaid, the blessed plant. French: foute-saine. English: tu¢san. The St. John’s wort is the “fuga demonum,” which Martin describes in his ‘Western Isles.” “John Morrison, who lives in Bernera (Harris) wears the plant called “Sewd” in the neck of his coat to prevent his seeing of visions, and says he never saw any since he first carried that plant about with him.” Children have a saying when they meet this

plant— “Luibh Cholum Chille, gun sireadh gun iarraidh,

"Sa dhedin Dia, cha bhasaich mi ’nochd.”’ St. Columbus-wort, unsought, unasked, and, please God, I won’t die to-night. The Manx name “‘/us-y-chiolg” (Stomach herb) was used for low spirits and nervousness. The roots were scalded in butter milk to remove freckles. O'Reilly has also Beachnuadh beinionn, female St. John’s wort.

The badge of Clan Mackinnon.

H. quadrangulum—SquarestemmedSt. John’swort. Beachnuadh Jfirionn (Threl), male St. John’s wort (see Peonia).

H. androsemum—Tutsan, meastork keeil (Threl).

H. elodes—The marsh measaturk alta (Threl), the marsh St. John’s wort, meaning the wood hog’s fruit, and the stream hog’s fruit. The first is one of the most beautiful of the St. John’s worts. It grows in the Highlands from Ross southwards—pretty frequent about Loch Salen and other places in Argyllshire. If

the yellow tops be bruised between the fingers, they will immedi- -ately communicate a deep crimson stain, hence the Greek name androsemum—man's blood. The association of the Irish names -with hogs is accounted for by the fact that the bruised plant smells strongly of swine. The Welsh name has the same meaning— aail y twrch. Threlkeld gives both names to the Tutsan, the second name is more applicable to the water or bog St. John’s work. The former never grows in watery places, but the latter always does, and besides, it is very common in Ireland. In Ulster it is called, according to Threlkeld, donan leane (Lean, a swamp), and caochrain curraith—(currach, a marsh), and caoch, a nut without a kernel. The old herbalist spells his names variously.

ACERACEA, “Acer, in Latin meaning sharp, from ac, a point, in Celtic.”—Du THEIS).

Acer campestris—Common maple. Gaelic and Irish: craobh mhalip or malpais; origin of name uncertain, but very likely ‘from mad, a satchel or a husk, from the form of its samara. Some think the name is only a corruption of maple—Anglo-Saxon, mapal, Welsh: masarnen. Gothic: masloenn (from mas, fat), from its abundance of saccharine juice.

A. pseudo-platanus—Sycamore. Gaelic and Irish: craobh sice, .a corruption from Greek sycaminos. The old botanists erroneously believed it to be identical with the sycamine or mulberry-fig of Palestine.

‘Nam biodh agaidh creidhimh, theireadh sibh ris a chvaobh shicamin so, ‘bi air do spionadh as do fhreumhaibh.”—Stuarr.

If ye had faith ye might say to this sycamore tree, Be thou plucked up by the root.—St. Luke, xvii. 6.

Croabh pleantrinn, corruption of platanus or plane-tree. Irish: crann ban, white tree. Fir chrann (O’Reilly), same meaning. (fir, fair, white).

The badge of the Clan Oliphant.

VINIFERZ,

Vitis (from the Celtic gwyd, a tree,a shrub. Spanish: v/a. French: vigne).

Vitis vinifera—Vine. Gaelic: crann jiona, fionan: Irish: jion, wine. Greek: Oxvos. Latin: winum. ion dearc, a grape. Muin, the vine, also 47, Gaelic alphabet.

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‘*Is mise an fhionazn fhior, I am the true vine.—John xv. 1. The wild grapes are bitter, and frequently putrid. The reference in Isaiah v. 2 is to the wild grape. ‘* Agus dh’ amhairc e dh’ fheuchainn an tugadh e mach dearcan fiona, agus

thug e mach dearcan fiadhain.” And he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild’

grapes. The dried fruit raisins is mentioned in 1 Samuel, xxv. 18—

*‘ Agus ceud bagaide do fhion dhearcaibh tiormaichte.” And a hundred clusters of raisins (dried berries).

GERANIACEZ. (From Greek yépavos, geranos, a crane. The long beak that ter-- minates the carpel resembles the bill of a crane; English: crane- bill. Gaelic: crob priachain (Armstrong), the claw of any rapacious bird). Lvs-gnd-ghorm. (Mackenzie). Evergreen plant..

Geranium Robertianum—Herb Robert. Gaelic and Irish: righeal cuil (from righe, reproof, and cuz/, fly, gnat, insect), the fly reprover. zaghal cuil, also rial chutl, that which rules insects; earbull righ (earbull, a tail).

‘«TInsects are said to avoid it.”—Don. Ruidel, the red-haired. Lus an eallan, the cancer weed. Righeal righ. Irish: righean righ, that which reproves a king (righ, a king), on account of its strong disagreeable smell). Manx: Zus ny Freeinaghyn-vooarey, the big pins’ herb, from its long carpels : a cure for sore mouth and eyes. Welsh: ¢roedrydd, redfoot. Liysie Robert, herb Robert.

G. sanguineum—Bloody cranesbill. Gaelic: cveachlach dearg, the red wound-healer (cveach, a wound). Geranium Robertianum and geranium sanguineum have been and are held in great repute by the Highlanders, on account of their astringent and vulnerary properties.

OXILIDEA, (From Greek o£¢s, oxys, acid, from the acid taste of the leaves).

Oxalis acetosella—Wood-sorrel. Gaelic: sam, shelter. It grows in sheltered spots. Also the name given to its capsules. Also summer. It may simply be the summer flower.

“Ag itheadh sazmh,” eating sorrel. Seamrag. Irish: seamrog (shamrock), generally applied to the

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trefoils. Sealbhaig na fiodha (O’Reilly). The Gaelic name means “wood sorrel.” It is not a sorrel (seadbhaig), but it is frequently used as a substitute on account of its acidity, caused by the abun- -dance of oxalic acid formed in the leaves. ‘*Le seamragan ’s le nedineanan, ’S gach lus a dh’fheudain ainmeachadh Cuir anbharra dhreach boidhchead air.” —MACINTYRE. With wood-sorrel and with daisies, And plants that I could name, Giving the place a most beautiful appearance. The shamrock is said to be worn by the Irish upon the anniversary -of St. Patrick for the following reason:—When the Saint preached the Gospel to the pagan Irish, he illustrated the doctrine of the ‘Trinity by showing them a trefoil, which was ever afterwards worn upon the Saint’s anniversary. “Between May-day and harvest, butter, new cheese, and curds and shamrock are the food of the meaner sorts during all this season.”—Pimrs’s “West Meath.” Surag, the sour one; Scotch: sourock (from the Armoric sur, ‘Teutonic, ser, sour). Welsh: suran y gdg, cuckoo’s sorrel. Gaelic: biadh edinean, birds’ food. Manx: éee cooag, cookoo’s meat. Irish: di//eog nan eun, the leaf of the birds. “Timchioll thulmanan diamhair Mu ‘m bi'm biadh-edinean a’ fas.’’ MACDONALD. Around sheltered hillocks Where the wood:sorrel grows. Feada coille, candle of the woods, name given to the flower; feadh, candle or rush. Clobhar na maighiche, hare’s clover. ‘¢ Mar sin is leasachan soilleir, Do dh’ fheada-coille nan cds.”-—MACDONALD. Like the flaming light Of the wood-sorrel of the caverns.

CELASTRACA,

Eunoymus europzeus—Common spindle-tree. Gaelic and Irish: oir, feoras,—oir, the east point, east. “A wr an oir,” from the land of the East (Ozri~, Europe), being rare in Scoland and Ireland, but common on the Continent. Ozr and feoir also mean a border, edge, limit, it being commonly planted in hedges. Whether the name has any reference to these significations, it is very difficult to determine with certainty. Oir, the name of the thirteenth letter, O, of the Gaelic and Irish alphabet. It is

B

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worthy of notice that all the letters were called after trees or

plants :— Gaelic. English. Gaelic. English.

A, Ailm. Elm. L, - Luis. Quicken. b, Beite. Birch. M, Muin. Vine. GC; Coll. Hazel. N, Nuin. Ash. D, Dur. Oak. O, Oir. Spindle-tree.. Ey Eagh. Aspen. PB, Peith. Pine. F, Fearn. Alder. hk, - Ruis. Elder. G, Gath. Ivy. S, Suil. Willow. H, Huath. White-thorn. ¥; Teine. Furze. I, Iogh. Yew. Us Ur. Heath.

GaELic ALPHABET.—Antecedent to the use of the present alphabet, the ancient Celts wrote on the barks of trees. The writing on the bark of trees they called oghuim, and sometimes. trees, feadha, and the present alphabet “v7 or letters.

‘Cormac Casil cona churu, Leir Mumu, cor mela; Tragaid im righ Ratha Bicli, Na Litri is na Feadha.”

Cormac of Cashel with his companions Munster is his, may he long enjoy ;

Around the King of Ratha Bicli are cultivated The Letrers and the TREES.

The “letters” here signify, of course, our present Gaelic: alphabet and writings ; but the “trees” can only signify the oghzm, letters, which were named after trees indigenous to the country.” —Prof. O’Curry.

RHAMNACE&, Rhamnus (from Gaelic ram, Celtic ram, a branch, wood). “ Talamh nan ramh.”’—Ossian. The country of woods,

The Greeks changed the word to pdpvos, and the Latins to ramus.

R. catharticus—Prickly buckthorn. Gaelic: ramh droighionn, prickly wood. Welsh: rhafnwydd—rhaf, to spread; wydd, tree. Brenahal (Threl)—This name should have been Brenadhal, or in our Gaelic Brewn ubhal, putrid apple. The fruit is fleshy, but more a berry than an apple. It is a violent purgative, and yields. a dye varying in tint from yellow to green.

Juglans regia—The walnut. Gaelic: craobh ghall-chno—gall, x foreigner, a stranger; cd, a nut.

eS)

LEGUMINIFERA. Gaelic: /uis methgeagach, pod-bearing plants. Sarr-guc, papil- ionaceous flowers (Armstrong), Pdr-cochullach, leguminous.

“ Barr-guc air mheuraibh nosara.”—MAcCINTYRE. Blossoms on sappy branches.

Sarothamnus scoparius—Broom. Gaelic: Jbealaidh or beal- utah, said to be (by popular etymology) “from Bead, Baal,and uidh, favour, the plant that Belus favoured, it being yellow-flowered. Yellow was the favourite colour of the Druids (who were worship- pers of Belus), and also of the bards” (Brocxkig.) Welsh: danadi, etymologyobscure Irish: drum ,; and Welsh; ysgub. Gaelic: sguab, a brush made from the broom. Latin: scoparius. Gtolcach sleibhe (giolc, a reed, a cane, a leafless twig ; sleibhe, of the hill). Manx: guilcagh. A decoction of it was used as a purgative, and to reduce swelling.

The badge of the Clan Forbes.

Acacia seyal—-In the Bible the shitéah tree. Gaelic: sitta. A native of Egypt and Arabia.

‘* Cuiridh mi anns an fhasach an seudar, an sztta, Am miortal, agus an crann-oladh.’’—Isaiah xli., 19.

Cytisus laburnum—Laburnum. Gaelic: dealaidh Fhrangach (in Breadalbane), in some parts Saswanach, French or English broom (Ferguson). /rangach is very often affixed to names of plants of foreign origin. This tree was introduced from Switzerland in 1596. Craobh Abran—Abraon, April.

Ulex—Name from the Celtic ec or ac, a prickle (Jones).

U. europeus—Furze, whin, gorse. Gaelic and Irish: conasg, from Irish conas, war, because of its armed or prickly appearance. Attin. Welsh: eithin, prickles. Manx: ji/g choyin, dogs’ prickles. Zezwe. Also the name of the letter T in Gaelic. Some authorities give ¢ezze for heath. O’Reilly gives uv, the letter UV for heath. Not common in the Highlands, but plentiful about Fortingall, Perthshire.

Ononis arvensis—Rest harrow. Gaelic and Irish: sveang bogha, bowstring Welsh: tagaradr, stop the plough ; ezthin yr eir, ground prickles. Scotch: cammock, from Gaelic cam, crooked. Irian tarran (O'Reilly), tri a terrain (Threl). Also often called wild liquorice. A troublesome, shrubby little plant, with flowers like those of the broom or furze, not yellow but rosy, with

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strong, string-like roots that arrest the harrow or plough, requiring three times the strength to pull. Does that fact explain the Irish names /vi—three, but ¢vzan, the third, and in our Gaelic ¢ar- vuing, pull, draw ?

Trigonella ornithopodioides—Fenugreek, Greek hay. Gaelic: tonntag-Ghreugach (Armstrong) ; Fineal Ghreugach, Greek nettle ; crubh-edin, birds’ shoe. Welsh: y Groeg gwair, Greek hay. Used as an emolient for sores and wounds for horses and other animals.

Trifolium repens—White or Dutch clover. Gaelic and Irish: seamar bhan, the fair gentle one (see Oxadlis), written also sameir, stomrag, seanrag, seamrog. Wood-sorrel and clover are often con- founded, but seamar bhan is invariable for white clover, and for Trifolium procumbens, hop trefoil, seamhrag bhutidhe, yellow clover. Manx: Samark.

‘*Gach saimeir neonean ’s masag.” MACDONALD. Every clover, daisy, and berry,

‘*An f-seamrag uaine ’s barr-gheal gruag, A’s buidheann chuachach neoinean.”—MACLACHLAN. The green white-headed clover, And clusters of cupped daisies.

The badge of Clan Sinclair.

T. pratense—Red clover. Gaelic: seamar a’ chapuill, the mare’s clover. Capull, from Greek kadéXAns, a work-horse. Latin: caballus, a horse. Tri-bilean, trefoil, three-leaved. Welsh: tairdalen, the same meaning. Meillonem, honeywort, from mel, honey. Gaelic: sdgag, Scotch sookie, the bloom of clover, so called because it contains honey, and children suck it. Seirg (O’Reilly). Being more sappy, therefore more difficult to dry and preserve, may have suggested the name seizg, decay.

Alpestre and T. minus—Small yellow clover. Gaelic: seangan, small, slender.

T. arvense—Hare’s-foot clover. Gaelic: cas maighiche (Arm- strong), hare’s foot.

Lotus corniculata—Bird’s-foot trefoil. Gaelic: barra mhis- Han—barra, top or flower; mis/ean, anything that springs or

grows. Irish: crutbin, claws. (See Cranberry). Manx: crouw- hayt. Scotch: catclukis, cat’s claws. Adharc an adiabhoil, mean-

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ing “the Devil’s horn.” So called from the form of its pods. The flowers are yellow, and often streaked with red. Common

in pastures, and ascending the mountains to the height of 2800 feet.

Anthyllis vulneraria—Kidney vetch, or Lady’s Fingers. Gaelic: medzr Mhuire, Mary’s fingers ; cas an uain, lamb’s foot.

Vicia’ sativa—Vetch. Gaelic and Irish: fatgha/, nuitritious (from Irish fadh, now written biadh, food); peasair fhiadhain, wild peas; peasair chapull, mare’s peas. Welsh: iddys, edible peas. Irish: prs fhiadhain, wild peas ; pis dubh, black peas. Storr.

V. cracea—Tufted vetch. Gaelic: peasair nan luch, mice peas ; pesair (Latin, pisum,; Welsh, sys, French, pots, peas), are all from the Celtic root, Z7s, a pea; also peasair radan, rat pease.

V. sepium—Bush vetch. Gaelic: peasair nam preas, the bush peas.

Lathyrus pratensis—- Yellow vetchling. Gaelic: peasair bhuidhe, yellow peas. Irish: pis dhuddhe, yellow peas.

Ervum hirsutum—Hairy vetch or tare (from evv, Celtic—arv, Latin, tilled land). Gaelic: peasair an arbhair, corn peas. Welsh: pysen y ceirch—ceirch, oats. Gaelic: gall pheasatr, a name for lentils or vetch. Ga//, sometimes prefixed to names of plants having lowland habitats, or strangers.

“‘Lan do ghall pheasair.”’—2 Sam., STUART. Full of lentils.

Faba vulgaris—Bean. Gaelic: pomair. Irish: pdnaive. Cor- nish: pdnar (from the German féza, a _ bean. Gaelic : ponair Fhrangach, French beans; ponair dzrneach, kidney beans; ponair chapull, buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata). Seth (O’Dono- van) (faba)—Bean. Manx: foanrey.

‘*Gabh thugad fds cruithneachd agus edrna, agus pdnai7, agus peasair,

agus meanbh-pheasair, agus peasair fhiadhain, agus cuir iad ann an aon soitheach, agus dean duit féin aran duibh.” Stuart, Ezekiel iv. 9.

“Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof.” Orobus tuberosus—Tuberous bitter vetch (from Greek épw, oro, to excite, to strengthen, and fots, an ox). Gaelic and Irish;

1 Vicia (from Greek Buxcov, Latin vicia, French vesce, English vetch), —Loupon.

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cairmeal (Armstrong)—cair, dig ; meal, enjoy; also mad/,; Welsh, moel, a knob, a tuber—.e., the tuberous root that is dug ; corra- metile (Macleod and Dewar). Cdréan in Killarney.

“Ts clann bheag a trusa leolaicheann !

Buain cory an cds nam bruachagan.”—MACINTYRE.

Little children gathering . .

And digging the bitter vetch from the holes in the banks. Corra, a crane, and mei//g, a pod, the crane’s pod or peas. Welsh: pys y garanod, crane’s peas; garan, a crane. “The Highlanders have a great esteem for the tubercles of the roots ; they dry and chew them to give a better relish to their whisky. They also affirm that they are good against most diseases of the thorax, and that by the use of them they are enabled to repel hunger and thirst fora long time. In Breadalbane and Ross-shire they sometimes bruise and steep them in water, and make an agreeable fermented liquor with them, called cazvm. They have a sweet taste, something like the roots of liquorice, and when boiled are well flavoured and nutritive, and in times of scarcity have served as a substitute for bread” (Lightfoot).

Bitter vetch—and sometimes called “ wild liquorish ”—seems to be the same name as the French “caramed/,” burnt sugar ; and according to Webster, Latin, “canna mediis,” or sugar-cane. The fermented liquor that was formerly made from it, called cazrm or cuirm, seems to be the same as the “court” which Dioscorides says the old Britons drank. The root was pounded and infused, and yeast added. It was either drunk by itself or mixed with their ale—a liquor held in high estimation before the days of whisky ; hence the word “cuérm” signifies a feast. That their drinking gatherings cannot have had the demoralising tendencies which might be expected, is evident, as they were taken as typical of spiritual communion. In the Litany of ‘ Aengus Céilé Dé,” dating about the year 798, we have a poem ascribed to St. Brigid, now preserved in the Burgundian Library, Brussels.

“*Ropadh maith lem corm-lind mor, Do righ na righ,

1 Leolaicheann, probably Trollius europeus (the globe flower), from o/, dlachan, drink, drinking. Children frequently use the globe flower as a drinking cup. Scotch: luggie gowan, Luggie, a small wooden dish ; or it may be a corruption from ¢roZ or frollen, an old German word signifying round, in allusion to the form of the flower, hence Trollius.

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Ropadh maith lem muinnter nimhe

Acca hol tre bithe shir.”

I should like a great lake of ale

For the King of Kings ;

I should like the family of heaven

To be drinking it through time eternal. ‘To prevent the inebriating effects of ale, ‘‘the natives of Mull are very careful to chew a piece of “charme/” root, finding it to be aromatic—especially when they intend to have a drinking bout ; for they say this in some measure prevents drunkenness.” -—Martin’s ‘‘ Western Isles.”

ROSACE. {From the Celtic. Gaelic, vas; Welsh, hos; Armoric, vosen ; Greek, fodov,; Latin, vosa).

Prunus spinosa—Blackthorn, sloe. Gaelic: preas nan air- neag, the sloe bush. Irish: dre, a sloe. Manx: drine arn. Welsh: e¢vinen. Sanskrit: arani.

“Suilean air ll dirneag.”’—Ross. Eyes the colour of sloes.

Bugh-—O’Clery, in his vocabulary, published a.p. 1643,

describes dugh thus :—

“ Bugh, i.e., wibh gorm no glas ris a samhailtean stile bhios gorm no -glas.” That is a blue or grey plant, to which the eye is compared if it be blue

r grey, “Dearca mar dhlaoi don bhugha.”—O’BRIEN. “Cosmall ri dugha a shuili.” His eyes were like slaes.—O’CuRRY. Sgitheach dubh—the word sgith ordinarily means weary, but it means also (in Irish) fear; duéf, black, the fearful black one, but probably in this case it is a form of sgeach, a haw (the fruit of the white thorn), the black haw. Welsh: ysbyddad, draenenddu. “€Criin sgithich an aite crin righ.”—MACKELLAR. A crown of thorns instead of a royal crown. Droighionn dubh, the black penetrator (perhaps from druid, to penetrate, pierce, bore), account of spines in the Latin “Spinosa.” Compare Gothic, thruifa, Sanskrit, ¢rut; Latin, ¢r/t; German, dorn; English, thorn; Irish (old form), drazgen; Welsh, draen,; Manx, drine doo. Skeag doo. “‘Croinn droighnich on ear’s o’n iar.” —OLD Poem. Thorn trees from east and west.

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A superstition was common among the Celtic races that for every tree cut down in any district, one of the inhabi- tants in that district would die that year. Many ancient forts, and the thorns which surrounded them, were preserved by the veneration, or rather dread, with which the thorns were held ; hence, perhaps, the name sgitheach, sgith (anciently), fear ; hence also, droighionn (druidh), enchantment, witchcraft.

P. damascena—Damson. Gaelic and Irish: dazmsin, Damascus plum. Manx: atrney ghoo, black plum.

P. insititia—Bullace. Gaelic and Irish: dudastair. Compare Breton, 4o/os ; Welsh, eirinen bulas.

P. domestica—Wild plum, Gaelic: plumbars fiadhain, wild plum; p/umbais seargta, prunes. Atridh, Welsh: eirinen.

P, armeniaca— Apricot. Gaelic: apricoc. Welsh: dricyllen. Regnier supposes from the Arabic derkoch, whence the Italian albicocco, and the English agricot; or, as Professor Martyn observes, a tree when first introduced might have been called a “‘preecox,” or early fruit, and gardeners taking the article “a” for the first syllable of the words, might easily have corrupted it to “apricots.”

P. cerasus—Cherry-tree. Gaelic: craobh shiris, a corruption of Cerasus, a town in Pontus in Asia, from whence the tree was first brought. S7//m (O’Reilly).

“Do bheul mar an ¢-sz7is.”

Thy mouth like the cherry. Welsh: cezriosen.

P. padus—Bird-cherry. Gaelic: craobh fhiodhag, from fiodh, wood, timber; fodhach, a shrubbery. Glocan. Dun reisk (Threl), probably he means in our Gaelic donnz risg, brown bark. The

plum and cherry trees are characterised by their dun-coloured barks.

P. avium—Wild cherry. Gaelic: geanais, the gean. French: guigne, from a German root. Welsh: cezriosen ddu, black cherry..

Amydalus communis—Almond. Gaelic: a/mon. ‘?Nuair a bhios a’ chraobh almoin fuidh bhlath.”—Ecct. xii. 5.

A. persica—Peach. Gaelic: peztseag, from the English. Meoch- dair. One of the numerous peach family. “The fruit is called nectarine, from zectar, the poetical drink of the gods.” The

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product of the seeds of Amygdalus communis is familiar to us- under the name of almonds, and its oil—oil of almonds.

Spirea ulmaria—Meadow-sweet, queen of the meadow. Gaelic: crios (or cneas) Chu-chulainn. The plant called “My lady’s belt” (Mackenzie). “‘A flower mentioned by Macdonald in his poem ‘Allt an ¢-sitcair, with the English of which I am not acquainted” (Armstrong).

It is zof mentioned in the poem referred to, but in “Ovan an t.Samhraidh” —The Summer Song. ‘©S ctbhraidh faileadh do mhuineil

A chrios-Chu-Chulainn nan carn !

Na d@’ chruinn bhabaidean riabhach, Loineach, fhad luirgneach, sgiamhach.

Na d’ thuim ghiobagach, dreach mhin, Bharr-bhtidhe, chasurlaich, aird ;

Timcheall thulmanan diamhair Ma’m bi ’m biadh-edinean a’ fas.” MACDONALD.

Sweetly scented thy wreath, Meadow-sweet of the cairns !

In round brindled clusters,

And softly fringed tresses, Beautiful, tall, and graceful, Creamy flowered, ringleted, high ; Around sheltered hillocks

Where the wood-sorrel grows.

Airgiod luachra, silver rush. Welsh: /ysiu’r forwyn, the maiden’s: flower. In Argyleshire /us nan gillean oga. The young men’s. plant.

S. filipendula—Dropwort. Irish: greaban. Meddlys, sweet wort (O’Reilly).

Linnzus informs us that, “in a scarcity of corn, the tubers have been eaten by men instead of food.” Welsh: crogedyf—crogi, to suspend, The tuberous roots are suspended on filaments, hence the names filipendula and dropwort.

Geum rivale—Water avens. Gaelic: machall uisge; in Irish: macha, a head, and a/é/, all—z.e., allhead—the flower being large

2Cu chullin’s belt. Ctchullin was the most famous champion of the Ulster Militia in the old Milesian times. He lived at the dawn of the Christian era. He was so called from Cu, a hound, and Ullin, the name of the province. Many stories are still extant regarding him.

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in proportion to the plant. Uisge, water. It grows in moist places only.

G. urbanum—Common avens. Gaelic: machall coille—cotlle, wood, where it generally grows. Benedin—O’Reilly gives this name to the tormentil; he also gives ‘Septfoil” (Comarum), ‘The geum is very like those plants both in flower and properties. To a non-botanist they seem pretty much the same. The old English name was Herb-Bennet. The rootstock of all these is powerfully astringent, and yields a yellow dye. Welsh: Bezdz- geidlys, ys Bened.

Dryas octopetala—White dryas. Gaelic: machall monaidh, the large-flowered mountain plant. (The name was given by an old man in Killin from a specimen from Ben Lawers in 1870). Luidh bheann (ogan)-—The hill or ben plant. Growing on high stony hills to the height of nearly 3000 feet in the Highlands; little shrub-like plants, with leaves somewhat like the oak leaf, and about eight large white petals on the flower.

The badge of Macneil and Lamont.

Potentilla anserina—Silverweed, white tansy. Gaelic : Jrisyean (written also ériosglan, brislean), from briosg or brisg, brittle. Brisgean milis, sweet bread. “ The drisgean, or wild skirret, is a succulent root not unfrequently used by the poorer people in some parts of the Highlands for bread” (Armstrong).

The skirret (see Siz sisarum) is not native. Curran earraich.

“* Mil fo thalamh, curran earraich.” Under ground honey spring carrots.

‘* Exceptional luxuries. The spring carrot is the roct of the silver weed.” — Sheriff NIcoLson. ;

‘The plant here alluded to is Potentil/a anserina. Barr bhrisgean, the flower. Welsh: ‘nl/wydd.

P. reptans—Cinquefoil. Gaelic: meangach, branched or twigged—mmeang, a branch, because of its runners, its long leaf, and flower-stalks. Cilig Ahileach, five-leaved. Irish: cig mheur Muire, Mary's five fingers. Welsh: Wysieuyn pump, same meaning.

P. tormentilla—Common potentil, or tormentil. Gaelic: Zeanartach (Shaw). Leamhnach, tormenting. Barr draonan-nan-

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con, the dogs’ briar bud. Braonan fraoich (fraoch, heather). Braonan, the bud of a briar (Armstrong). Braonan bachiaig, the earth nut (Bunium flexuosum) (Macdonald), from éraon, a drop. Cairt laiyr—This is the name among fishermen in the Western Isles, meaning the “ground bark.” It is generally used for tanning the nets when they cannot get the oak bark.

‘* Min-fheur chaorach is barra-bhraonan.”—MACINTYRE. Soft sheep grass and the flower of the tormentil.

Irish: neamhnatd, neamhain. Welsh: tresgl y moch.

Comarum palustre—Marsh cinquefoil. Gaelic: cig bhileach uisge, the water five-leaved plant. Cnd /eana, meaning the bog or swamp nut. Threlkeld gives another name, “Ciiesheag,” from ciig, five. The leaves are generally arranged in fives, hence the English and French names.

Fragaria vesca—Wood strawberry. Gaelic: subh (or sith) thalinhuinn, the earth’s sap, the earth’s delight (from s#5h or sigh, sap, juice; also delight, pleasure, joy, mirth); ‘Aalimhuinn, of the

earth. * Theirig subh-thalmhuinn nam bruach.”—MACDONALD.

The wild strawberries of the bank are done. Sndbhan laire, the ground sap ; Hachd shibh, pleasant fruit. Thlachd sheist (O'Reilly). ** Subhan ldire ’s faile ghroiseidean.” —MACcINTYRE. Wild strawberries and the odour of gooseberries. Suthag, a strawberry or raspberry. “Gur deirge na’n ¢-suthag an ruthadh tha d’ ghruaidh.”’ Thy cheeks are ruddier than the strawberry. Trish: cafog, the strawberry bush. Cazh, seeds (the seedy fruit). Welsh: mefussen.

Rubus (from rd, red in Celtic), in reference to the colour of the fruit in some species.

Rubus chamzemorus—Cloudberry. Gaelic: o/veag, variously written—olghreag, foighreag, feireag. Irish: efreag (eireachd, beauty). Scotch: Averin.

‘‘Breac le feiveagan is cruin dearg ceann.” MACINTYRE. Checkered with cloudberries with round red heads. Moon a man meene (Threl). Muin na mna-mhin, the gentle woman’s bush or vine. Aun was the ancient Gaelic name for

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the vine. ‘The cloudberry is the most grateful fruit gathered by the Scotch Highlanders” (Neill).

The badge of Clan Macfarlane.

Critban na saona, “the dwarf mountain bramble.” (O'Reilly, Armstrong, and others). Probably this is another name for the cloudberry, but its peculiar and untranslatable name furnishes no certain clue to what plant it was formerly applied.

R. saxatilis—Stone bramble. Gnaelic: caora bad miann, the berry of the desirable cluster. usteaga, redness, a slight tinge of red. Soo na man meen (Threl). Subh na mban-min (O'Reilly). |The gentlewomen’s berry. This bramble is pretty common in the Highlands and in Ireland, ascending the Gram- pians aud other mountains to the height of 2700 feet. The fruit is more scarlet and rounder than that of the common blackberry (fruticosus ), and it grows generally in stony places.

R. ideeus—Raspberry. Gaelic: preas sithh chraobh (craobh, a tree, a sprout. a bud), the bush with sappy sprouts. “ Faile nan s7bh-craobh is nan rdsan.””—MACcINTYRE. The odour of rasps and roses. Welsh: mafon—maj, what is clustering. Gaelic: preas shilidheag, the sappy bush. Sz/ghag, the fruit (from sigh, juice, sap).

R. fruticosus—Common bramble. Irish and Gaelic: dreas, plural, dris. Welsh: dyrys—the root rys, entangle, with prefix ay, force, irritation. In Gaelic and Welsh the words dvs and drysien are applied to the bramble and briar indiscriminately.

“* An dreas a’ fas gu h-trar.”—OssIAN. The bramble (or briar) freshly growing. ‘Am fear théid san droighionn domh Theid mi ’san dris da.” —PROVERB. If one pass through thorns for me, Pll pass through brambles (or briars) for him. Grian mhuine, the thorn (bush) that basks in the sun. Dries muine—muine, a thorn, prickle, sting. Smear phreas (Irish: smeur), the bush that smears; smearag, that which smears (the fruit). Welsh: méar, the bramble. Manx: drine smeyr. (Miar or meur in Gaelic means a finger.) Smmearachd, fingering, greasing, smearing. (Compare Dutch smeeren; German, schmieren, to

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smear or daub. Sanskrit: smar, to smear. Dyis-smear, another combination of the preceding names. Lachkrann (O'Reilly), where brambles grow. The word means an impediment, a stumbling-block, when walking.

It was and is a common belief in the Highlands that each blackberry contains a poisonous worm. Another popular belief —kept up probably to prevent children eating them when unripe—that the fairies defiled them at Michaelmas and Hal- lowe’en.

This plant is the badge of a branch of the Clan Maclean. R, cxsius—Blue bramble ; dewberry bush. Gaelic: Jreas nan- gorm ahearc, the blueberry bush. ** Barr gach tolmain fo bhrat gorm dhearc.”—MACDONALD. Every knoll under a mantle of blueberries (dewberries).

The blue bramble is the badge of the Clan Macnab.

Rosa canina—Dog-rose. Gaelic: rds man con, dog rose. Greek: xv-wv. Latin: canis. Sanskrit: czas. Irish: cz. Welsh: ciros (ct, a dog), dog rose.

Gaelic: coin droighionn, dogs’ thorn. Larradhreas or fearra- ahris, earrad, armour; suggested by its being armed with prickles.. “Mar mhucaig na fearra-dhris,”—MACKELLAR. Like hips on the briar,

Preas-nam-mucag, the hip-bush—from muc (Welsh: moch), a pig, from the fancied resemblance of the seeds to pigs, being bristly. Irish : sgeach mhadra, the dogs’ haw or bush. Welsh: merddrain. Manx: drine booag—(booag, the fruit), Gaelic: 7ds, rose; culti- vated rose, rds garaidh. “« B’é sid an sealladh éibhinn ! —

Do bhruachan glé-dhearg rds.”

That was a joyful sight !

Thy banks so rosy red.

R. rubiginosa—Sweet-briar (é7zar, Gaelic: a bodkin or pin). Gaelic: dris chibhraidh, the fragrant bramble. Irish: sgeach- chimhra, the fragrant haw or bush. Cuwérdris, the twisting briar. —cuir, gen. sing. of car, to twist or wind. Welsh: rhoslwyn pér. O’Reilly gives forvdris as sweet briar and jessamine. The sweet briar is the ‘‘ Eglantine” of the poets.

Agrimonia eupatoria—Agrimony. Gaelic: mur-draidhean—

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mur, sorrow, grief, affliction; dvaidhean, another form of droigh- tonn (see Prunus spinosa). Draidh, or druidh, also means a magacian, which may refer to its supposed magical effects on troubles as well as diseases. A noted plant in olden times for the cure of various complaints. Irish: marbh droightonn— marbh dhruidh, a necromancer, or magician. Geur bhileach— geur, sharp, sour, rigid; bhileach, leaved; on account of its. leaves being sharply serrated, or because of its bitter taste. Mirean, or Meirean nam magh, the merry one of the field. Welsh: y dorllwyd. Trydon, what pervades.

Sanguisorba—Burnet. 4’ dhileach losgainn. ‘Vhe leaves good for burns and inflammations (/osgadh, burning). Manx: /us yn ailé, the fire weed.

Alchemilla vulgaris—Common lady's mantle. Gaelic: copan an driichd, the dew cup; falluing Mhuire, Mary’s mantle. Irish: dearna Mhuire, Mary’s palm. Gaelic: cruba, leomhainn, lion’s paw ; cota preasach nighean an righ, the princesses’ plaited gar- ment. Irish: Zathach bhuidhe, also leagadh bhuidhe (O'Reilly). A decoction from this plant was supposed to restore beauty after it faded. The dew gathered from its cup-like leaves had the same effect.

A. alpina—Alpine Lady’s Mantle. Gaelic: ¢vwsgan, mantle. The form and the satiny under-side of the leaves of this and the other species gave rise to the names ¢rusgan, falluing, cota, and the

English name, lady’s mantle. “ Tha trusgan faoilidh air cruit an aonaich.”—MACINTYRE. The mantle-grass on the ridge of the mountain.

The hills about Coire-cheathaich and Ben Doran (the district described by the poet) are covered with this beautiful plant. The word ¢rusgan, mantle, may be used in this instance in its poetic sense. Minan Mhuire (Threl) (Mfeangan ALhuire), Mary's twig, or Miann Mhuire, Mary's desire.

Mespilus germanica—Medlar. Gaelic: crann meidil (Macdon- ald) said to be a corruption of Mespilus, formerly called the medle tree. AZed/e stands for the old French mes/e, a meddlar.

Crategus oxyacantha—Whitethorn, hawthorn. Gaelic: sgith- each geal, drioghionn geal (see Prunus spinosa), geal, white ; preas nan sgeachag; sgeach,ahaw. Welsh: draenen wen, white thorn. Manx: drine skaig. Irish: seiog.

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‘© Mios bog nan tbhlan breac-mheallach,

Gu peurach plumbach sgeachagach,

A’ luisreadh sios le dearcagaibh,

Cir-mhealach, beachach, grdiseideach."—MACLACHUINN.

Soft month of the spotted bossy apples !

Producing pears, plums, and haws,

Abounding in berries,

Honeycomb, wasps, and gooseberries. Vath or huath—the ancient Gaelic and Irish name—has several: significations; but the root seems to be Au (Celtic), that which pervades. Welsh: Awad, that which smells or has a scent (Auadgu, a hound that scents). ‘The name hawthorn is supposed to be a corruption of the Dutch Zaag, a hedge-thorn.

The badge of the Clan Ogilvie.

Pyrus (from feren, Celtic for pear). Latin: pyrwm. Armoricr per. Welsh: peren. French: pore.

P. communis—Wild pear. Gaelic: craobh pheuran fiadh- ain (peur, the fruit), the wild pear-tree.

P. malus—‘dZe/ or mad, Celtic for the apple, which the Greeks have rendered pAov, and the Latins madlus.”—Don, Welsh: afaZ, Manx: ooy/, Anglo-Saxon: @f/. Norse: apad. apple. Gaelic: ubhal,; craobh ubhal fhiadhain, the wild apple tree..

**Do mheasan milis cubhraidh

Nan zdhlan ’s nam peur.”’—MACDONALD.

Thy sweet and fragrant fruits,

Apples and pears. The old form of the word was adhul or abhul. The culture of apples must have been largely carried on in the Highlands in olden times, as appears from lines by Merlin, who flourished in A.D. 470, of which the following is a translation :—

“Sweet apple-tree loaded with the sweetest fruit, growing in the lonely wilds of the woods of Celyddon (Dunkeld), all seek thee for the sake of thy produce, but in vain ; until Cadwaldr comes to the conference of the ford of Rheon, and Conan advances to oppose the Saxons in their career.”

This poem is given under the name of Afa//anau, or Orchard, by which Merlin perhaps means Athol—z.e,, Abhal or Adhul— which was believed by old etymologists to acquire its name from its fruitfulness in apple trees. Goirteag (from goirt, bitter), the- sour or bitter one (the crab-apple). Irish: Gairtedg. Cuairtagan-

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(the fruit); cwazr¢, round, the roundies. Irish: cuetrt. Crmhrog {O’Reilly). Sweet apple, from c#éhra, sweet fragrant, in our Gaelic cubhraidh.

The tree is the badge of the Clan Lamont.

P. aucuparia—Mountain-ash, rowan-tree. Old Irish and Gaelic : /ués, drink (/uisreog, a charm). The Highlanders formerly used to distil the fruit into a very good spirit. They also believed “that any part of this tree carried about with them would prove a sovereign charm against all the dire effects of enchantment or witchcraft.” —Lightfoot (1772). uinseag coille, the wood enchan- tress, or the wood-ash (see Circea); caorrunn. Irish: partainn- aearg (the berry). Caorthann. Caor, a berry, and fan, a tree Welsh: cerddin. Manx: heirn.

**Bu dheirge a ghruaidh na caorrunn.”—OSSIAN. His cheeks were ruddier than the rowan. “« Sail chorrach mar an dearcag, Fo rosg a dh-iathas dlu, Gruaidhean mar na caorrunn Fo ’n aodann tha leam citin.”—AN CAILIN DILEAS DONN.

Thine eyes are like the blaeberry, Full and fresh upon the brae, Thy cheeks shall blush like the rowans On a mellow autumn day. (Translated by Professor J. S. Blackie).

A very uncommon variety of the rowan tree, with orange colour fruit, is found growing by the road side at “Balbeg” Farm, Lawers, Breadalbane.

(Craobh chaorruinn)—Mountain-ash. The Highlanders have long believed that good or bad luck is connected with various trees. The caorrunn or fuinnseach coille (the wood enchantress) was considered by them as the most propitious of trees, hence it was planted near every dwelling-house, and even far up in the mountain glens, still marking the spot of the old shielings. “And in fishing-boats as are rigged with sails, a piece of the tree was fastened to the haulyard, and held as an indispensable necessity.” “Cattle diseases were supposed to have been induced by fairies, or by witchcraft. It is a common belief to bind unto a cow’s tail a small piece of mountain-ash, as a charm against witchcraft.”— Martin. And when malt did not yield its due proportion of spirits, this was a sovereign remedy. In addition to its other virtues, its fruit was supposed to cause longevity. In the Dean of

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‘Lismore’s Book there occurs a very old poem, ascribed to Caoch O’Cluain (Blind O’Cloan). He described the rowan-tree thus:— ‘‘Caorthainn do bhi air Loch Maoibh do chimid an traigh do dheas,

Gach a ré ‘us gach a mios toradh abuich do bhi air. Seasamh bha an caora sin, fa millise no mil a bhlath, Do chumadh a caoran dearg fear gun bhiadh gu ceann naoi trath, Bliadhna air shaoghal gach fir do chuir sin is sgeul dearbh.”

A rowan tree stood on Loch Mai,

We see its shore there to the south ;

Every quarter, every month,

It bore its fair, well-ripened fruit;

There stood the tree alone, erect,

Its fruit than honey sweeter far,

That precious fruit so richly red

Did suffice for a man’s nine meals ;

A year it added to man’s life.

—Translated by Dr. MACLACHLAN.

The badge of Clan Maclachlan.

P. torminalis—Service tree. Cvaobh cheorais (in Perthshire), alteration of caorv, berry, also coavrunn. There are several varieties of this tree, the most ornamental being P. aria, with deeply lobed leaves, and white beneath. With white flowers and clusters -of berries like the caorrunn, but not so red. The Gaelic name being ga// uinnseann, the foreign ash.

Pyrus Cydonia —Quince tree. Gaelic: craobh chuinnse, corrup- tion of quince, from French coignassa, pear-quince. Originally from ‘Cydon in Candia.

AURANTIACE.

Citrus aurantium—The orange. Gaelic: dr ubhal, golden apple; dx mheas, golden fruit ; draisd, from Latin aurum. Irish: or. Welsh: ayr, gold.

**°S Phoebus dath nan tonn Air fiamh dvensin.”—MAcDONALD.

And Pheebus colouring the waves With an orange tint.

Citrus medica—Citron. Gaelic: craobh shitrion. Citrus limonum—Lemon. Gaelic: crann limoin. French: Limon. Italian: “imone.

ANACARDIACE. Pistacia lentisus—Mastic tree. AMJaisteag, from the Greek c

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Masttke, “the gum of the tree called in Latin enérscus,” so called because used for chewing in the East. The leaves, bark, fruit, and gum were known medicinally in Great Britain and Ireland long ago.

P. terebinthus—Turpentine tree. Curlionn. The Teil tree of the Bible (Isaiah vi. 13), rendered cz¢Zionn in the Gaelic version..

“* Agus pillidh e, agus caitheare mar an czz/ionn agus an darach.” And it shall return, and shall be used as a teil tree and an oak.

MYRTACE. Punica granatum—Pomegranate. Gaelic: gran ubhal (gran. Latin, granum, grain-apple. ‘* Tha do gheuga mer lios gran wbhlan, leis a'mheas a’s taitniche.”—SonG

OF SOLOMON. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits.

(Now generally written pomgranat in recent editions.) Myrtus communis—Myrtle. Gaelic: mortal. “An ait droighne fasaidh an giuthas, agus an ait drise fasaidh am miortal.”

—ISAIAH lv. 13. Instead of the thorn shall grow the fir, and instead of the briar the myrtle.

ONAGRACEE.

Epilobium montanum—Mountain willow-herb. Gaelic: az seileachan, diminutive of sevach (Latin: salix, a willow), from the resemblance of its leaves to the willow. Welsh: /edpgdys,. same meaning. Manx: dus ny shellee, willow herb.

“In Glenlyon the epilobiwm was, as elsewhere, often called ‘an seileachan,” yet the older name ‘‘ helig ” or ‘‘ elig’”’ was retained, and one of the rocky hills- of the Glen is called Craig-helig or Craig-elig from the plant.”—ZJnverness Chronicle.

E. angustifolium—Rosebay. Gaelic: seileachan Frangach, French willow. /¢amaznn (in Breadalbane), a common name for plants growing near water, especially if they have long stalks.

Circea lutetiana and alpina—Enchantress’s nightshade. Gaelic and Irish: fwinnseach. Not improbably from Irish xinnseach, playing the wanton—the reference being to the fruit, which lays. hold of the clothes of passengers, from being covered with hooked prickles (as Circe is fabled to have done with her enchantments) ; or fuinn, a veil, a covering. The genus grows in shady places, where shrubs fit for incantations may be found. “ Finn (a word

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of various significations), also means the earth ; and seach, dry— zZe., the earth-dryer. Fuinnseagal (another Irish name), from seagal (Latin, secale), rye—i.e., ground-rye” (Brockie); also fuinn- seasgach. It grows in damp places, and has the reputation of dry- ing the soil. us nan h-dighe, the maiden’s or enchantress weed.

LYTHRACEA.

Lythrum salicaria—Spiked lythrum, purple loosestrife. Gaelic: lus na stth-chainnt, the peace-speaking plant. ‘*Chuir Dia oirnn craobh sith-chainnt,

Bha da’r dionadh gu leoir.”—IAN Lom.

God put the peace-speaking plant over us,

Which sheltered us completely. The name also applies to the common loosestrife. Irish: dreallan leana. Breall, a knob,a gland. It was employed as a remedy for grandular diseases, or from the.appearance of the plant when in seed. reallan means also a vessel. The capsule is enclosed in the tube of the calyx, as if it were ina vessel. Lean, a swamp. Generally growing in watery places.

HALORAGE.

Myriophyllum spicatum and alterniflorum. — Water-milfoil. Gaelic and Irish: sndthainn ’bhathadh (from snath, a thread, a filament ; and éa¢h, drown), the drowned thread. It grows in ponds, lakes, and marshy places, with thread-like leaves arranged in whirls. The spiked variety ascends in the Highlands to 1200 feet.

GROSSULARIACEE.

Ribes, said to be the name of an acrid and prickly plant. (Rhéum ribes, mentioned by the Arabian physicians, a different plant. Gaelic: spiontag, currant, gooseberry. Irish: spzontdg, spin. Latin: spina, a thorn; also spon, pull, pluck, tear away. Welsh : yspinem.

Ribes nigrum.—Black currant. Gaelic: ravsar dubh, the black currant. reas nan dearc. The berry bush. faosar (Scotch, #7z¢ar—from French, raisin ; Welsh, rhyfion; Old Eng- lish, raisin tree), for red currant. Latin: racemus, a: cluster. Dyes brown.

R. rubrum—Red or white currants. Gaelic: raosar dearg or

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geal, red or white currants; dearc Fhrangach, French berry. Spriunan.

R. grossularia—Gooseberry bush. Gaelic: preas ghroiseid (written also grdseag, grosaid), the gooseberry—from grossulus, diminutive of gvossus, an unripe fig,—‘so called because its berries resemble little half-ripe figs, gross’” (Loudon). French: groseille. Welsh: grwysen. Scotch: grozet, groze/—from kris, curling, crisp. ‘The name was first given to the rougher kinds of fruit, from the curling hairs on it.”—-SKEaT.

“¢ Suthan-lair’s faile gvddsecdean.”—M‘INTYRE. Wild strawberry and the odour of gooseberries.

The prickles of the gooseberry bush were used as charms for the cure of warts and the stye. A wedding-ring laid over the wart, and pricked through the ring with a gooseberry thorn will, remove the wart. Ten gooseberry thorns are plucked to cure the stye—nine are pointed at the part affected, and the tenth thrown over the left shoulder.

CRASSULACEA.

(From Latin, crassus, thick—in reference to the fleshy leaves and stem. Gaelic: crasag, corpulent.)

Sedum rhodiola—Rose-root. Gaelic and Irish: /us nan laoch, the heroes’ plant ; Zaoch, from the Irish, meaning a hero, a cham- pion, a term of approbation for a young man. Grows on most of the higher Highland mountains, to 4000 feet, also on the sea side rocks. It has thick, crowded leaves, with yellow or purplish flowers.

The badge of the Clan Gunn,

8. acre—Stonecrop, wall-pepper. Gaelic and Irish: grafan nan clach, the stone’s pickaxe. Also in Gaelic: g/as-dann and gtlas lean, a green spot. Welsh: manion y ceryg.

8. Anglicum—White or pink sedum. Irish: Biadhk an ¢-Ston- atdh. Stonadh—a prince, a lord or chief. It was formerly eaten as a salad, and considered a delicacy. It grows most frequently on the West Coast and all round Ireland.

§. telephium—Orpine. Scotch: orpie. Gaelic: orp (from the French, orpin). Lus nan laogh, the calf or fawn’s plant ; Zaogh, a calf, a fawn, or young deer, a term of endearment for a young child. Welsh: ¢eZefin (from Latin, zelephium.

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Sempervirum tectorum—House-leek. Gaelic: /us nan cluas,! the ear-plant (the juice of the plant applied by itself, or mixed with cream, is used as a remedy for ear-ache) ; /us gdraidh, the garden wort; oi7f, sometimes written orp (French, orfin) ; tinneas na gealaich, lunacy — finn, sick, and gealach, the moon. Zeznne Eagla (Threl) = “nn, sickness, Zag, the moon—it being employed as a remedy for various diseases, particularly those of women and children, and head complaints. Irish: Sinicin, tir-pin (sometimes f¢or-fan), a cluster, a bunch. Welsh: ‘lysie pen-ty, house-top plant. Manx: /us-y-thie, the house-plant.

Cotyledon umbilicus—Navel-wort, wall-pennywort. Gaelic: lamhan cat leacainn, the hill-cat’s glove. Irish: carnan-chaisil (O’Reilly), carz, a heap of stones, and caisead, a wall (or any stone building), where it frequently grows. Manx: /us-yn-imleig, navel- wort.

“The navel-wort was used as a poultice for scalds or pimples on the arm in the Isle of Man” (ROEDER). It grows on rocks and walls—the ruins of Iona for example—but only on the west coast from Argyle southward, and throughout Ireland. It is easily known by its round peltate leaves.

SAXIFRAGACEE.

Saxifraga —Saxifrage. Gaelic: cloch-bhriseach (Armstrong), stone-breaker—on account of its supposed medical virtue for that disease. Welsh: cromil yr englyn.

S. granulata—Meadow saxifrage. Gaelic and Irish: moran, which means many, a large number—probably referring to its many granular roots.

8. umbrosa—London pride. Gaelic: cal Phadruic, Peter’s kai).

Chrysosplenium oppositifolium — Golden saxifrage. Gaelic: lus nan laogh (the same for Sedum telephium). Irish: clabrus, from clabar, mud, growing in muddy places; gloiris, from gloire, glory, radiance—another name given by the authorities for the “ golden saxifrage ;” but they probably mean Saxifraga aizoides,

‘This is what I always heard it called; but M‘Donald gives xorn and in the Highland Society’s Dictionary it is given creamh-garaidh, evidently a

translation by the compilers, as they give the same name to the Leek.— FERGUSSON,

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a more handsome plant, and extremely common beside the brooks and rivulets among the hills. Though there are many beautiful varieties of this order on our Grampian Hills, yet few of them seem to have arrested the attention of the Highlanders ; only one or two have Gaelic names, but the rarest of all—Sax7- Sraga cernua, found only on Ben Lawers—is now known to guides by the name of Zus Bhetnn Lathur (Ben Lawers’ plant). It its eagerly sought after by botanists. The lovely S. oppositifolia is now frequently cultivated in Highland gardens.

Parnassia palustris—Grass of Parnassus. Shaw gives the name fionnsgoth (fionn, white, pleasant, and sgoth, a flower), “a flower,” but he does not specify which. Moxnan geal has also been given as the name in certain districts, which seems to indicate that fronnsgorh is the true Celtic name.

ARALIACE&.

Hedera—“ Has been derived from /edra, a cord, in Celtic” (Loudon).

Hedgra helix—Ivy. Gaelic: etdheann, that which holds on— from (PJedenno, root, ped, to fasten (Macbain); written also eigheann, eidhne, eitheann.

‘* Spion an ezfheann o'croabh.’’—-OLD PoEM. Tear the ivy from her tree.

“ Fitheann nan crag.”’---OSSIAN. The rock-ivy.

“* Briseadh troimh chreag nan eidheann dlw’ Am fuaran Ur le torraman trom.”—-MIANN A BHAIRD AOSDA. Let the new-born gurgling fountain gush from the ivy-covered rock. Lidheann mu chrann—tree ivy. “Gach fiodh ’s a’ choille Ach eidheann mu chrann’s fiodhagach.”—MAcCuARAIG.

Every tree in the wood, But the tree ivy and bird cherry.

Irish: Faighleadh, that which takes hold or possession. Welsh: eiddew (from eiddiaw, to appropriate). Irish: aighnean (from aighne, affection), that which is symbolic of affection, from its clinging habit. Gort, sour, bitter—the berries being unpal- atable to human beings. though eaten by birgs. Zad/uinn (from zall, a thong, or that which surrounds); perhaps from the same root as helix Greek: &Aéw (eileo, to encompass); also fadh-

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shlat, the twig that surrounds—a name likewise given to the honeysuckle (onicera periclymenum), because it twines like the ‘ivy— “ Mar tadh-shlat ri stoc aosda.” Like an ivy to an old trunk. An gath, a spear, a dart. The badge of the Clan Gordon.

CORNACES.

Cornus (from Latin: cornu, a horn). Gaelic: corm, French: corne. “The wood being thought to be hard and durable as horn.”

Cornus sanguinea—Dogwood, cornel-tree. Gaelic: coin-bhil, dogwood; conbhaiscne, dog-tree (daiscne, Irish, a tree). Irish: crann cotrnel, cornel-tree.

C. suecica—Dwarf cornel—literally, Swedish cornel. Gaelic and Irish: /ws-a-chraots, plant of gluttony (cvaos, a wide mouth ; gluttony, appetite). ‘‘The berries have a sweet, waterish taste, and are supposed by the Highlanders to create a great appetite— whence the Erse name of the plant” (Stuart of Killin). “It is reported to have tonic berries, which increase the appetite, whence its Highland name” (Lindley).

UMBELLIFERE.

Hydrocotyle vulgaris—Marsh pennywort. Gaelic: dws xa peighinn, the pennywort. Irish: Zus na pinghine (O'Reilly), from the resemblance of its peltate leaf to a pezghimn—a Scotch penny, or the fourth part of a shilling sterling. Manx: owz.

‘« Cha nee tra ta’n cheyrrey gee yn oww te cheet ree.” —PROVERB.

Time enough for the sheep to eat pennywort when it comes to her.

This plant is said to be injurious to sheep. Welsh: toddaidd -qven, white rot.

Eryngium maritimum—Sea-holly. Gaelic and Irish: cuilionn tragha, sea-shore holly. (See Llex aquifolium). Welsh: y mor gelyn, sea-holly (celynen, holly). Manx: hollyn hraie, sea-shore holly.

Sanicula europea—Wood sanicle. Gaelic: dodan coille, wood- tail. Bodan, diminutive of bod (membrum virile), and coille of the wood. Irish: cavgma. Buine, an ulcer—a noted herb, “to

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heal all green wounds speedily, or any ulcers. This is one of Venus, her herbs, to cure either wounds or what other mischief Mars inflicteth upon the body of man” (Culpepper). Welsh: clust yr arth, bear’s ear. Reagha maighe, reagam (O'Reilly). Latin: regula, to rule. Names given for its potency over diseases, “The European healer.”

Conium maculatum—Hemlock. Gaelic: minmheur (Shaw)— smooth or small fingered, or branched; in reference to its foliage ;- mongach mheur, and muinmheur—mong and muing, a mane, from its smooth, glossy, pinnatifid leaves. MJinbharr, soft-topped or soft-foliaged. Lteodha, stteotha—ite, feathers, plumage. The appearance of the foliage has evidently suggested these names, and not the qualities of the plant, although it is looked upon still with much antipathy.

“*Is coslach e measg chaich

Ri zfeodha an garadh.”—MACINTYRE. Among other people he is like a hemlock in a garden.

‘Mar so tha breitheanas a’ fas a nlos, mar an z¢eotha ann claisibh na mach-- rach.” —Hos. x. 4. Thus judgment springeth up like a emdock in the furrows of the field.

Welsh: gwin dillad, pain-killer. Manx: aghue. “*Ta’n aghue veg shuyr da’n aghue vooar.”-—ManxX PROVERB. The little hemlock is sister to the big hemlock. (A small sin is akin to the great one).

Cicuta viros1—Water-hemlock. “The hemlock given to prisoners as poison” (Pliny); and that with which Socrates was. poisoned. Gaelic and Irish: fead/a dog, the soft deceiver ; fead/, treason, falsehood ; and feallair (feall fhear), a deceiver—from the same root (Latin, fa//o, to deceive). Welsh: cegéd. Latin: cicuta.

Smyrnium olusatrum—Alexanders. Gaelic: Jus nan gran dubh, the plant with black seeds—on account of its large black seeds. From its blackness, the name o/usatrum (Latin: olus, a vegetable, and azer, black). ‘‘‘Alexanders,’ because it was sup- posed to have been brought from Alexandria” (Ray). Irish: Ailistrin (Threl). Welsh: dudys, the black plant. It does not grow further north than Stirling in Scotland, but is frequent in Ireland, and was formerly cultivated as a pot herb. Manx = Ollyssyn (Cregan). Alexanders.

Apium (from Latin ag7s, a bee—bee herb, parsley, celery.

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A graveolens—Smallage, wild celery. Gaelic: /vs na smadlaig,. a corruption of smallage. earsal mhor, the large parsley. Irish: meirse. Anglo-Saxon: merse, a lake, sea. Latin: marve—marshy ground being its habitat. Welsh: persii Frengig, French parsley.

Petroselinum sativum—Parsley. Gaelic: ZearsaZ (corruption from the Greek werpa, petra, a rock, and oéAuwvoy, se/inon, parsley). Muinean Mhuire, Mary’s sprouts. Welsh: pers. Fionnas- garatidh (Macleod and Dewar).

Heliosciadium inundatum—Marshwort. Gaelic: fualactar (from fual, water). The plant grows in ditches, among water.

Carum carui—Caraway. Scotch: carvie, Gaelic: carbhaidh (a corruption from the generic name), from Caria, in Asia Minor, because it was originally found there—also written carbhinn.

** Cathair thalmhanta’s carbhinn chroc-cheannach.”—MACINTYRE. The yarrow and the horny-headed caraway.

Lus Mhic Cuimetn, MacCumin’s wort. The name is derived from the Arabic gamoin, the seeds of the plant Cuminum cyminumr (cumin), which are used like those of caraway.

The badge of the Cumins. ;

Bunium fiexuosum—tThe earth-nut. Gaelic: draonan dbhuachaill, the shepherd’s drop (or nut); draonan bachlaig (Shaw); cno thalmhuinn—cno, a nut; thalmhuinn, earth—ploughed land, ground. Latin: ze//us. Sanscrit: ¢adas, level ground. Irish: caor thalmhuinn, earth-berry ; cotrearan muic, pig-berries, or pig- nuts. Cutharlan, a plant with a bulbous root. Cdr/an. Manx: Curlan. Croa hallooin, earth nut.

Foeniculum vulgare—Fennel. Gaelic: us an ¢-saoidh, the hayweed. fineal, from Latin, fenum, hay, the smell of the plant resembling that of hay. Irish: jineal chitmhthra (cumhra,. sweet, fragrant). Welsh: ffenzg?.

Ligusticum, from Liguria, where one species is common.

L. scoticum—Lovage. Gaelic: s¢unas, from sion, a blast, a storm—growing in exposed situations. In the Western Isles, where it is frequent on the rocks at the sea-side, it is sometimes. eaten raw as a salad, or boiled as greens.

Leivsticum officinale—Commonlovage. Gaelic: Zuibh an liugair, the cajoler’s weed. It was supposed to soothe patients subject to hysterics and other complaints. Irish: /us an lagatre, the

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physician’s plant, from which the Gaelic name is a corruption. Though thus applicable, the names are only alterations of Lzgus- ticum, a plant of Liguria. Welsh: dudys, the dusky plant.

Meum athamanticum—Meu, spignel, baldmoney. Gaelic: mutlceeann. Irish: muticheann, possibly from muz/, a scent; ceann, ahead or top. JAfucieann is given in some dictionaries as “ fell- wort,” but “fellwort” (szvertia perennis) is a different plant, and belongs to the Gentian order. (It is now unknown in Britain, and has been excluded from our botanical books) The muzztdceann is highly aromatic, with a hot flavour like lovage. Highlanders are very fond of chewing its roots.

In Inverness-shire, dricin or dbricin dubh, perhaps from 677, juice ; or, as mentioned in Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 158, as Sibbald says it grows on the banks of the Breick Water in West Lothian, may not some native of the banks of the Breick have given. it this local name in remembrance of seeing it growing on the banks of his native Breick?-—FERGUSON.

There was a St. Bricin who flourished about the year 637. He had a great establishment at Zuaim Drecain. His reputation as a saint and “o//amh,” or doctor, extended far and wide; to him Cennfaeladh, the learned, was carried to be cured after the battle of Magh Rath. He had three schools for philosophy, classics, and law. It seems very strange, however, that this local name should be confined to Inverness, and be unknown in Ireland, where St. Bricin was residing. ‘Bricetn, a prefix to certain animal names ; from éveac, spotted” (Macbain).

Angelica—(So named from the supposed angelic virtues of some of the species).

A. sylvestris—Wood angelica. Gaelic: dus nam buadha, the plant having virtues or powers. Las an lonaid, the umbelliferous flower, somewhat resembles a churn piston. Irish: cucnneog mhighe, the whey bucket. Gad/uran perhaps from gal/ (Greek: gala), milk, from its power of curdling milk ; for this reason, hay con- taining it is considered unsuitable for cattle. Irish: Contran. Aingealag: angelica. Gleorann, also “the cuckoo flower.” Meacan righ fiadhain (O'Reilly).

Crithmum maritimum—Samphire. Gaelic: saimbhir, a cor- ruption of the French name St. Pierre (St. Peter), from Greek

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mérpa, a rock or crag. (The samphire giows on cliffs on the shore). Gaelic: an cndmh tus, the digesting weed; cnamh (from Greek: xvdw; Welsh: cnoz; Irish: cnaoi), chew, digest. The herb makes a good salad, and is used medicin- ally. Irish: grioloigin. Geirgin (O'Reilly). A sea-side plant growing on rocks and cliffs. From its bitter taste the Gaelic name is supposed to be derived. Geur, sharp, and in Irish, geive, ‘sourness, tartness. O'Reilly also gives “saphir,” a corruption of ‘samphire. Greinhrigin is given by Threlkeld as the name in ‘Connaught, gairgean cregach in some places. Manx: dus ny greg, the rock plant.

Peucedanum ostruthium—Great masterwort. Gaelic: mdr Shtiodh (Armstrong), the large excrescence, or the large chick- weed.

P. officinale—Hog-fennel or sow-fennel. Gaelic: fineal sraide {Shaw)—svaiWe, a lane, a walk, a street. This plant is not found in Scotland, but was cultivated in olden times for the stimulating ‘qualities attributed to the root.

Anethum graveolens—Strong-scented or common dill. Gaelic and Irish: @i/e (Macdonald) (Latin: didigo)—dile, a word in Gaelic meaning love, affection, friendship. The whole plant is very aromatic, and is used for medicinal preparations.

Sium sisarum—Skirrets. Gaelic: cromagan (Shaw), from crom, bent, crooked, from the form of its tubers. The tubers were boiled and served up with butter, and were declared by Worl- ridge, in 1682, to be ‘“‘the sweetest, whitest, and most pleasant -of roots;” formerly cultivated in Scotland under the name of ““crummock,” a corruption of the Gaelic name. Irish: cearracan (O’Reilly), applied to the root of this plant and the carrot.

S. angustifolium—Water-parsnip. Gaelic: folachdan (Arm- strong), from /olachd, luxuriant vegetation; am, water. Irish: cosaah dubhadh, the great water-parsnip (O'Reilly), (cos, a foot, stalk, shaft, and dub, great, prodigious),

Pastinaca sativa—Parsnip. Gaelic: meacan-an-righ, the king’s root, royal root. Curran geal (from cur, to sow, geai, white). Irish: cuiridin ban, the same meaning (cuzrim, 1 plant or sow). Welsh: moron gwynion, field carrot. The natives of Harris make use of the seeds of the wild white carrot, instead of hops, for

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brewing their beer, and they say it answers their purpose suffi- ciently well, and gives the drink a good relish besides. ‘‘ There is a large root growing amongst the rocks of this island—the natives call it the ‘curran petris, the rock-carrot—of a whitish colour, and upwards of two feet in length, where the ground. is deep, and in shape and size like a large carrot.”—-MartTIN.

ZEgopodium podagraria—Goat, gout, or bishop-weed. Gaelic: us an easbuig—easbuig, a bishop. A name also given to Chrysan- themum leucanthemum, but with a different signification. Manx: lus-yn-ollee (cattle herb), considered an unfailing remedy for sores in the mouths of cattle. us y ghoot, gout weed.

Ferula communis—Finealathaich (O’Reilly) — Fennel-giant- Athach, a giant, and the name “fennel” from Latin fenum, hay. Not a native of Britain or Ireland. Cattle are said to be fond of it. It is a large plant not unlike the wood angelica, with umbelli- ferous flowers. The plant must have been unknown to the Highlanders and Irish, and the name is merely a translation. The old herbalist, Turner (1548), writes thus :—‘Ferula is called. in Greeke Narthex, but howe that it is named in Englishe, as yet I can not tel, for I never sawe it in Englande but in Germany in diverse places. It maye be named in Englishe herbe Sagapene or Fenel gyante.”

Heracleum sphondylium—Cow-parsnip. Gaelic: odharan, from odhar (Greek: ®xpa; English: ochre), pale, dun, yellowish, in reference to the colour of the flower. Aeacan-a-chruidh, the cows’ plan}. The plant is wholesome and nourishing for cattle. Gunnachan spitain, squirt-guns. Children’s name for the plant, because they make squirt-guns from its hollow stems.

Daucus carota—Carrot. Gaelic: curran (any kind of a deep-- rooted plant). Carrazt, corruption from carota, Muran—(Welsh: moron), a plant with tapering roots. Irish: curran buidhe, the yellow root.

‘* Muran brioghar ’s an grunnasg lionmhar.”—MACINTYRE. The sappy carrot and the plentiful groundsel.

Irish: mugoman—mugan, a mug, from the hollow bird’s-nest-like: flower. Cearracan (see Stum Stsaram).

“The women present the men (on St. Michaelmas Day) with a pair of fine garters, of divers colours, and they give them likewise a quantity of wild carrots.”—MarTIN.

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cerifolium, Anthricus, vulgaris, —Chervil. Gaelic: costag, a temulentum, common name for the chervils (from cos¢, an aromatic plant ; Greek : xéaros, kostos, same meaning). Costag a bhaile gheamh- vaidh (bhaile gheamhraidh, cultivated ground). “A. vulgaris was formerly cultivated as a pot-herb” (Dr. Hooker).

Myrrhis (from Latin myrrha; Hebrew, mar, bitter; Gaelic: mirr—tus agus mirr, frankincense and myrrh).

The myrrh in the Bible is a fragrant sort of gum which exudes from various trees in Arabia and other places, the principal being Balsamodendron Myrrha, the Balsam tree. The Hebrew 7%e77 is also translated balm in the English version, as in Jeremiah viii. 22—‘‘Is there no da/m in Gilead?” but in the Gaelic Bible it is— ** Nach ’eil zoch-shlaint ann an Gilead ?”

M. odorata—Sweet cicely or great chervil. Gaelic: cos mésge (Shaw), the scented water-plant. In Braemar it is commonly called mzrr.—Ep. “Scottish Naturalist.” ‘Sweet chevril, gathered while young, and put among other herbs in a sallet, addeth a marvellous good relish to all the rest” (Parkinson).

Coriandrum (a name used by Pliny, derived from «épus, corzs, a bug, from the fetid smell of the leaves).

C. sativum—Coriander. Gaelic: coiveiman—lus a’ choire, cor- ruptions from the Greek. It is still used by druggists for various purposes, and by distillers for flavouring spirits.

. Gnanthe crocata—Irish: dahou ban (Threl) (see Helleborus).

LoRANTHACEE.

Viscum album—Mistletoe. Gaelic: wz/'-ice, a nostrum, a panacea (Macdonald), all-heal. Welsh: uchefwydd. Irish: wile iceath, This is the ancient Druidical name for this plant. Pliny tells us—“ The Druids (so they call their Magi) hold nothing in such sacred respect as the mistletoe, and the tree upon which it grows, provided it be an oak. ‘Omnia sanantem appellantes suo vocabulo” (They call it by a word signifying in their own lan- guage A//-hea/ ) And having prepared sacrifices, and feast under the tree, they bring up two white bulls, whose horns are then first bound ; the priest, in a white robe, ascends the tree, and cuts

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it off with a golden knife; it is received in a white sheet. Then, and not till then, they sacrifice the victims, praying that God would render His gift prosperous to those on whom he had bestowed it. When mistletoe is given as a potion, they are of opinion that it can remove animal barrenness, and that it is a remedy against all poisons.” Druidh-dus, the Druid’s weed. Sigh an daraich, the sap or substance of the oak, because it derives its. substance from the oak, it being a parasite on that and other trees. (Sugh, juice, substance, sap; Latin: succus). Irish: gues, viscous, sticky, on account of the sticky nature of the berries. French: gwz.

“The mistletoe,” says Vallencey in his ‘Grammar of the Irish Language,’ ‘was sacred to the Druids, because not only its berries, but its leaves also, grew in clusters of three united to one stalk.”

The badge of the Hays.

CAPRIFOLIACEE.

Sambucus nigra—Common elder. Gaelic and Irish ; ruts, meaning “wood.” “The ancient name of the tree, which in the vulgar Irish is called trom” (OReilly); driman or droman. Welsh : ysgawen, elder ; Manx: tramman,

“The common people [of the Highlands] keep as a great secret in curing wounds the leaves of the elder, which they have gathered the first day of April, for the purpose of disappointing the charms of witches. They affix them to their doors and windows.”—C. de IRYNGIN, at the Camp of Athole, June 3oth, 1651. Used also as an emetic and purge, frequently planted near houses, hence another name, Rath fas. (Rath, a town, and fas, growth). It was considered efficacious against witches, and from it a blue dye was made.

§. ebulus—Dwarf elder. Gaelic and Irish: fiodh a’ bhalla, the wall excrescence. AZuldart ‘seems to be the same as the Welsh word mwyllartaith (mzyl/, emollient). It was esteemed a powerful remedy for the innumerable ills that flesh is heir to. Mulabhur. Old English name—Boure tree for the elder, durr, a clown. Welsh: ysgawen Mair, Mary’s elder.

Viburnum opulus—Guelder-rose, water-elder. Gaelic: céi~- zocan, heal-wax (Latin: cera; Greek, xnpés; Welsh: cwyr, wax), the healing, wax-like plant, from the waxy appearance of the

+h

flowers. <Keora con (Threl), dog-nut. Caoir chon, dog berries.. A shrubby tree growing in copses or waterside; with a flower from two to four inches in diameter, with large white florets round its circumference. The fruit nearly round, and red. Not com- mon in the Highlands, but frequently met with in Ireland.

V. lantana—Wayfaring tree. Gaelic: craobh fhiadhain (Arm- strong), the wild or uncultivated tree.

Lonicera periclymenum—Wocdbine, honeysuckle. Gaelic: -uilleann, seems to be derived from wleann (elbows, arms, joints), elbow-like plant Zazthuilleann (O'Reilly), our Gaelic name Uilleann, and faith, bright, pleasing. eth, feithlean. Irish: feathlog, feathlog fu chrann, fethlen, from feith, a sinew, tendon, suggested by its twisting, sinewy stems. Lys na meala, the honey-plant, from m7 (Greek: pedAr; Latin: mel), honey. Deolag, or deoghalag, from deothail, to such. Irish: cas fa chrann,* that which twists round the tree. Baiane ghamhnaich (O'Reilly), the yearling’s milk. A somewhat satirical name, implying that the sucking will produce scanty results. In the Highlands this name is generally given to the red rattle (pedicularis). In Gaelic zadh shlat is frequently applied both to- this plant and to the ivy (see Hedera helix), Welsh: gwyddfid, tree-climber or hedge-climber. Manx: /us-y-chellan, bee herb. It was supposed, though mistakenly, that bees could reach the honey. It was considered “Mie dy reayll bainney veih rannagh, as yn eeym veih dooid” (Kelly’s Dictionary). “Good to keep milk from stringiness and butter from blackness.” Lus a’ chraois,. sometimes, but improperly. (See Cornus Suecica).

RUBIACE. Rubia tinctorum—Madder. Gaelic: madar (Armstrong).

Galium aparine—Goose-grass ; cleavers. Gaelic: gardh lus; the rough weed. Irish: azrmeirg, from aivm, arms, weapons, from its stem being so profusely armed with retrograde prickles. Manx: /us garroo.

G. saxatile (Armstrong)—Heath bedstraw. Madar fraoich,.

‘In Strathardle and many other districts, lewm-a-chrann (leum, jump, crann, a tree), alluding to its jumping or spreading from tree to tree. High, Soc. Dict. gives duilliur-feithlean, probably from its darkening whatever: grew under it.”—FERGUSON.

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heath madder. It grows abundantly among heather. O'Reilly gives this name also to G. verum.

G. cruciata—Cross wort, the whirl of four leaves forming a -cross. The Manx name is a translation, dossan fessen, cross wort.

G. verum—Yellow bedstraw. Ruin, ruamh, from ruadh, red. Irish: 7 (O'Reilly). “The Highlanders use the roots to dye red colour. Their manner of doing so is this: The bark is stripped -off the roots, in which bark the virtue principally lies. Then they boil the roots thus stripped in water, to extract what little virtue remains in them; and after taking them out, they last of all put the bark into the liquor, and boil that and the yarn they intend to -dye together, adding alum to fix the colour” (Lightfoot).

Lus an leasaich (in Glen Lyon) the rennet weed. ‘“‘ The rennet ‘is made, as already mentioned, with the decoction of this herb. ‘The Highlanders commonly added the leaves of the Urtica dioica or stinging-nettle, with a little salt” (Lightfoot). Irish: daladh chnis (O'Reilly), the scented form (da/adh, odour, scent, cneas, form). Chongullion (Threl)—Cuchullin’s dog. Welsh: Cezéion, This name must not be confounded with Crios Chu-chulainn. “Queen of the Meadow,” or “ Meadow Sweet.” O'Reilly also gives “‘Cucuillean” as a name for the ‘“‘bedstraw.” The same name given in Glenlyon as /us Chu-chulainn. Manx: lus y volley,

‘sweet herb.

Asperula odorata—Woodruff. Gaelic: /ws-a-chaitheamh, the ‘consumption herb, as it was much used for that disease (Fergus- on). Probably the Irish name daladh chnis, the scented form, is the woodruff, and not the lady’s bedstraw ; it is more appropriate to the former than to the latter. Lus Moleas (Threl)—Probably he means “ ZLus Afolach.” The rough or hairy plant, correspond- ing to the Latin name asperwa, or asper, rough. Most of the ‘genus are characterised by whirled leaves, square stems, and margins of leaves prickly; the common goose grass is a good example, but the woodruff is less rough than most of them. The dried plant is very oderiferous, and was formerly used as a

diuretic. It ascends in the Highlands to the height of 1200 feet.

VALERIANACES.

Valeriana officinalis—Great wild valerian. Gaelic: an /r)- Bhileach (Mackenzie); dus na tri bhilean (Armstrong), the three-

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leaved plant, from the pinnate leaves and an odd terminal one, forming three prominent leaflets. Irish: /us xa tr? dallan, the plant with three teats (da//an, a teat); perhaps from its three prominent stamens (Brockie); carthan curaigh (carthan, useful, curaigh, a hero, a giant)—z.e., the useful tall plant. Welsh: y dlysiewyn, the beautiful plant ; y dri-aglog (dri, three, aglog, burn- ing ; from its hot bitter taste).

V. dioica—Marsh or dwarf valerian. Irish: carthan arraigh, from arrach, dwarf; caoirin leana, that which gleams in the marsh (caoir, gleams, sparks, flames, flashes ; ana, a swamp, a marsh). Although this plant is not recorded from Ireland, yet the names only occur in the Irish Gaelic.

V. celtica—Celtic nard. Bachar. Greek: Baxxépis, a plant having a fragrant root.

V. nardostachys—The true spikenard. Latin: mardus spicata, z.e., the nard furnished with spikes; Gaelic: spzocnard (Songs of Solomon, iv. 14). Both these plants were used by the ancients, not only for their scent, but as a remedy for hysteria and epilepsy (Lindley).

DIPSACE&. Dipsacus sylvestris \ Teasel, 5 fullonum Teasel, or fuller’s teasel. Gaelic:

leadan,—liodan ; liodan an fhicadair (leadan or fiodan a head of hair, fucadair a fuller of cloth); used for raising the nap upon woollen cloth, by means of the hooked scales upon the heads of the fuller’s teasel. Irish: ¢aga. Welsh: llysie y cribef, carding plant, from cvzd, a comb, card. Green dye was made from it.

Scabiosa succisa—Devil’s bit scabious. Gaelic and Irish : ura bhallach (ur, fresh, new ; dallach, from ball, a globular body, from its globular-shaped flower-heads, or dadlach, spotted. This old Celtic word is found in many languages. Uvach mhullaich, bottle-topped (wach, a bottle, from the form of the flower-head ; mullach, top). Odharach mhullaich, a corruption of urach. (Odhar means dun or yellowish, but the flower is blue). Gvecm an diabhail (O'Reilly), devil’s bit, from its praemorse root, the roots appearing as if bitten off. According to the old superstition,

D

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the devil, envying the benefits this plant might confer on man- kind, bit away a part of the root, hence the name. Manx: /us- yn-aacheoid (Ralfe) was reckoned a preservative against the evil eye. Welsh: y gdafrilys, from clafr, clawr, scab, mange, itch ; translation of scadiosa, from scabies, the itch, which disorder it is said to cure.

Knautia arvensis—Corn-field knautia (so named in honour of C. Knaut, a German botanist) or field scabious. Gaelic: gille guirmein, the blue lad. Irish: cada deasain, the elegant cap ; caba, a cap or hood) and deas, neat, pretty, elegant. Bodach gorm, the blue old man.

CoMPosITz.

Helminthia echioides — Ox-tongue. Gaelic: doglus (Arm- strong), a corruption from the Irish ; d0/g/us, ox-weed, from Jdolg, a cow, an ox. A name also given to Lycopsis arvensis. Bog luibh, same meaning. (Bog and do/g are often interchanged.)

Lactuca sativa—-Lettuce. Gaelic and Irish: “atus, lettuce, a corruption from dactuca (Latin, Zac, milk), on account of the milky sap which flows copiously when the plant is cut; /uzbh inite, the eatable plant. Insh: Jd/eog math, the good leaf. Welsh: gwylath, gwyfluid, lacth, milk.

L. muralis—Butsan (Threl) wall lettuce, from 44g%, milk, from the milky juice of the plant. Very rare in the Highlands. A plant somewhat resembling dandelion.

Sonchus oleraceus—Common sow-thistle, milk-thistle. Gaelic and Irish: dog ghioghan, the soft thistle. Irish giogan, a thistle. fofannan min, soft thistle. Bazne muic, sows milk. Manx: Bainney muck. Cluaran cruidh, cow’s thistle (O’ Reilly).

S. arvensis—Gaelic: béochd fochainn, the corn milk-plant ; dZochd, milky ; fochann, young corn. Welsh: “aeth ysgallen, milk-thistle (ysgallen, a thistle).

Hieracium pilosella—Mouse-ear hawkweed. Gaelic: cluas Zuch, mouse-ear ; cluas lath, the grey ear.

H. murorum—Wall hawkweed. Irish: sxuthan-na-muc (O’Reilly).

Taraxacum dens leonis—Dandelion. Gaelic: Jearnan Bride.

“Am bearnan Bride ’s a’ pheighinn rioghail.”—M ‘INTyrE. The dandelion and the penny-royal.

Bearn, a notch, from its notched leaf ; “ Bride, from its being in

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flower plentifully on Zatha fhéill-Bride” (Fergusson). Bride is also a corruption of Bhrighit, St. Bridget. Latha Fhétill-Brighde, Candlemas, St. Bridget’s Day. Béor nam bride (dior, sharp, tooth-like) ; facal leomhain, lion’s teeth. Welsh: dant y lew, the same meaning as dandelion (dent de lion), from the tooth-like formation of the leaf. Bladh buddhe, yellow flower. Castearbhan nam muc (Shaw)—The pigs’ sour-stemmed plant. Irish: cazs- earbhan, cais t-searbhain, castearbhan (cats, a word of many significations, but here from cas, a foot; caiseag, the stem of a plant; searbh, bitter, sour). Manx: Lus-ny-Minnag (entrails herb), used as a diuretic, and for liver and kidney complaints. Magenta die made from it.

Cichorium intybus—Succory of Chicory. Gaelic: Jus an t¢- Sticair, a corruption of cichorium, which was so named from the Egyptian word chzcouryeh. Pliny remarks that the Egyptians made their chicory of much consequence, as it or a similar plant constituted half the food of the common people. It is also called in Gaelic castearbhan, the sour-stemmed plant.

C. endiva—Endive. Gaelic: eanach gharaidh (eanach, corrup- tion of exdiva, “from the Arabic name hendibeh” (Du Théis), garadh,a garden). Searbhain muc (O’Reilly). Welsh: ysgali y meirch, horse-thistle.

Lapsana communis—Nipple-wort. Gaelic: duilleag mhaith, the good leaf ; dutlleag mhin, the smooth leaf. Irish: duzZeog bhrighid, the efficacious leaf, or perhaps St. Bridget’s leaf, the saint who, according to Celtic superstition, had the power of revealing to girls their future husbands ; som duilleag, good leaf. French: herbe aux mamelles, having been formerly applied to the breasts of women to allay irritation caused by nursing. Dudlleog bhraghad, or brdighe, the breast-leaf. Manx: Bollan-y-chee, breast-wort. It was used in the Isle of Man “to promote the flow of milk into the breasts” (Moore),

“Tf it was used by the French for rubbing the breasts, nothing seems more likely than that it would be also so used by the Celts of Ireland and Scotland, which would at once give it the name of duilleog braghad” (Fergusson).

Arctuim—Celtic: art, a bear. Greek: @pxros, from the rough bristly hair of the fruit.

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A. lappa—Burdock. Gaelic and Irish: suirichean sutrich, the foolish wooer (swiriche, a fool ; suzvich,a lover or wooer) ; seircean’ suivich, affectionate wooer (sere, affection). Secrcean mor. Bramasagan, cléiteagan. Names given to the “bur,” or heads. Mac-an-dogha, the mischievous plant (mac-an for mecan,. a plant); doghadh, mischievous (Shaw). Meacan-tobhach-dubh, the plant that seizes (¢obhach, wrestling, seizing, inducing ;. dubh, black, or large). Leadan liosda (leadan, ahead of hair ; “iosda, stiff). Irish: copag ¢uazthil, the ungainly docken; ceosan, the bur, or fruit, also c/édan, ceipeanan suiridh.

‘Mar cheosan air sgiathan fior-eun.””-—OSssIAN. Like bur clinging to the eagle’s wing.

Cocoil (O'Reilly). Manx: Bollan ghoa, sticking wort. “A favourite remedy for skin diseases and for nervousness ” (Moore). Welsh: Bribe y dletdd, wolf’s comb.

Carduus heterophyllus—Melancholy thistle. Gaelic: cluas an fhtidh, the deer’s ear. It was said to be the badge of James I. of Scotland. A most appropriate badge; but yet it had no con- nection with the unfortunate and melancholy history of the Stuarts, but was derived from the belief that a decoction of this. plant was a sovereign remedy for madness, which, in older times, was called “melancholy.” “The national emblem ‘the thistle’ was adopted fer the following incident :—The Scottish army lay encamped on the banks of the river Tay near Stanley. The enemy, the Norsemen attempted to cross the river by the trap: dyke in the night time. Happily for the Scotsmen, a Norseman trampled with his bare feet ona thistle and gave a loud cry of pain which immediately roused the Scots, who attacked the enemy and completely routed them.” The place is still known as the: “ Thistle Brig.”

The plant generally selected to represent the Scotch heraldic: thistle, is Oxopordon acanthium, the cotton thistle, and, strange- to say, it does not grow wild in Scotland. Achaius, king of Scotland (in the latter part of the eighth century), is said to have: been the first to have adopted the thistle for his device. Favine

1 Dogha also means burnt or singed. It was formerly burned to procure from its ashes a white alkaline salt, as good as the best potash. English. “* Dock,” borrowed from the Celtic dogha.—SKEAT.

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‘says Achaius assumed the thistle in combination with the rue: the thistle, because it will not endure handling; and the rue, because it would drive away serpents by its smell, and cure their poisonous bites. The thistle was not received into the national arms before the fifteenth century.

C. palustris—Marsh-thistle. Gaelic: clvaran leana (cluaran, a thistle ; ean, a swamp ; “ Lubadh cluavan mu Lora nan sion.”—OSssIAN. Let the thistle bend round Lora of the storms. Cluaran, a general name for all the thistles; also Giogan. ‘Welsh: ys gallen. Manx: Onnane.

C. lanceolatus—Spear-thistle. Gaelic: an cluavan deilgneach, the prickly thistle (de¢2gne, prickle-thorn).

C. arvensis—Corn-thistle. Gaelic: aigheannach, the valiant one (from aighe, stout, valiant /eochdan (O’Reilly).

C. marianus—Mary’s thistle. Gaelic: fothannan beannuichte. Irish : fothannan beanduighte (Latin: denedictus), the blessed thistle (so called from the superstition that its leaves are stained with the Virgin Mary’s milk); fothannan, foghnan, fonndan, a thistle. Fofannan breach, Bearnan breech (Threl), and fofannan Muire, all names for this thistle. (C. denedictus was the “blessed thistle.”)

This Gaelic name for thistle is variously spelt in old Irish omthann, “raw or rough twig” (Macbain). The thistle is frequently mentioned in Gaelic poetry.

‘* Leannaibh am foghannan.”—OssIAN Pursue the thistle-down.

‘« Feadh nan raointean lom ud Far nach cinn na foth’nain.”

Among these bare hillsides, Where the thistles will not grow. M‘Donald has another name, c/uaran dir, the gold thistle.

‘* Gaoir bheachainn bhui ’s ruadha Ri diogladh chluaran dir.” The buzzing of yellow and red wasps Tickling the golden thistle. It is uncertain to which thistle, if any, the reference is made, unless it be to Carina vulgaris, the carline thistle. Clvaran,

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occasionally means a paisy, Chrysanthemum segetum, one of its names being “az¢han.

‘*Liath chiuaran nam magh.’’—OssIAn. The hoary thistle (or daisy) of the field.

Here the reference is evidently to the corn-marigold; in all probability M'Donald refers to the same flower, and not to any thistle (see Chrysanthemum segetum).

The badge of the Stuart clan.

Cynara scolymns—Artichoke. Gaelic: farusgag, from farusg, the inner rind, the part used being the lower part of the recep- tacle of the flower, freed from the bristles and seed-down, and. the lower part of the leaves of the involucre. Bosan, not un- likely to be a contraction from J4-/iosan,—bk (bligh), milk (with. its florets milk was formerly coagulated); and “os, a garden. These names apply also to Helianthus tuberosus, Jerusalem arti- choke, especially to the tubers ; and plur na gréine, to the flower, from the popular error that the flower turns with the sun.

Centaurea nigra—Knapweed. Gaelic: cnapan dubh, the black knob (from cwap,a knob). Manx: /us-y-cramman doo (the same meaning); Welsh and Irish: cmap ; Saxox: cnep, Danish: cnap). Mullach dubh,the black top. Irish: néansgoth, the daughter’s- flower (zéan, a daughter ; sgoth, a flower).

C. cyanus—Blue-bottle. Gaelic: gorman, the blue one. In some places, gi//e-guirmean, the blue lad. Cuvrachd cubhaig, the cuckoo’s cap or hood. Irish: curac na cuig, the same meaning. Welsh: penlas wen, blue-headed beauty.

Artemisia vulgaris—Mugwort. Gaelic: ath Jus, the grey weed. A0dr manta (Shaw), the large demure-looking plant (mor, large; manta, demure, bashful). JAughard, Mugwort (mugan, midge wort. Danish: mug, a midge (Skeat). Irish: bofulan ban, or buafannan ban, the white toad, or serpent (duaf, a toad ; duafa, a serpent; Latin: dufa, a toad); duafannan Lath, the grey toad, or serpent. /ongach measga (O'Reilly). Welsh: “iwydlys, grey weed. Manx: Bollan feaill-Eoin, John’s feast- wort.

Cows were protected from the influence of fairies and witches. by having ‘‘dol/an feaill-Eoin” placed on St. John’s Eve in their houses. It was made into chaplets, which were worn on the heads of man and beast ; this was supposed to protect them from malign influences.—(Moore).

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A. absinthium—Common wormwood. Gaelic: Jduramaide. Trish dorramotor, also burbun (burrais, a worm or caterpillar ; maide, wood)—z.e., wormwood Skeat derives it from waremood, “preserver of the mind,—from its supposed virtues.” Searbh luibh, bitter plant.

‘* Chuir e air mhisg me le searbh-luibhean.””—S1TUART. He hath made me drunk with wormwood.

“Mar a’ bhurmaid.” Like the wormwood. It was formerly used instead of hops to increase the intoxi- cating quality of malt liquor. ozde, gall, bitterness. Grddan, more correctly graban (from Swed. gradéa, to grasp).1 Welsh: wermod chwerwiys bitter weed.

A. abrotanum—Southernwood. Gaelic: meath challtuinn, (Meath, Latin mitis,faint, weary, effeminate. Its strong smell is said to prevent faintness and weariness. Cal/tucun, from cai, Latin: cala; Italian, cala; French: ca/e, a bay, seashore, a harbour.) It grows in similar situations to 4. maritima. Lus an tseann duine, the old man’s plant, frequently used by old people to keep them awake in church. Irish: surabhan, suramoni, and Welsh, séwdrmwt. The sour one (saz, sour), and “southern- wood,” also from the same root. Welsh: Uysier cryff, ale-wort (cryff, Latin, cervisia, ale), it being sometimes used instead of hops to give a bitter taste to malt liquors.

Gnaphalium dioieum, G. sylvaticum — Cudweed. Gaelic: luibh w chait, the cat’s weed. Gnadbh, or cnamh lus, the weed that wastes slowly (from yvafdA.ov), a word with which Dioscorides describes a plant with white soft leaves, which served the purpose of cotton. This well describes these plants. They have all beautifully soft woolly leaves; and, on account of the permanence of the form and colour of their dry flowers, are called “Ever- lasting.”

Filago germanica—Common cotton rose. Gaelic and Irish: Hath lus roid, the gall (or wormwood) grey weed.

1 The occasional occurrence of Gothic roots in plants’ names in the Western Highlands and Isles, is accounted for by the conquest of these parts by the Norwegians in the ninth century, and the fact of their rule existing there for at least two centuries under the sway of the Norwegian kings of Man and the Isles. ;

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Petasites vulgaris—Butter-bur, pestilence-wort. Gaelic and Irish: ga//an mor, the big branch, possibly referring to its large leaf. Welsh: Alan-mawr, the big coltsfoot. bal, more cor- rectly pubal. Welsh: padel, a tent, a covering.

‘¢ Shuidhich iad am pubuzll.”—OssIAN. They pitched their tents.

The Greek name qeracos,a broad covering, in allusion to its large leaves, which are larger than that of any other British plant, and form an excellent shelter for small animals.

Tussilago farfara—cColt’s foot. Gaelic: cluas Hath, grey ear; gorm liath, greyish green; duiliiur spuing, the tinder-leaf. Billeog an spuing,

‘Cho tioram ri spuing.” As dry as tinder.

The leaf, dipped in saltpetre and then dried, made excellent tinder or touchwood. Gaelic and Irish: fathan or athan, mean- ing fire. It was used for lighting fire. The leaves were smoked before the introduction of tobacco, and still form the principal ingredient in the British herb tobacco. Gadllan-greannchair (gallan see “‘ Petasites ;’ greann, hair standing on end, a beard), probably referring to its pappus. Manx: Caddag-ny-hawin, the river dock. Irish: cassachdaighe (O’Reilly). a remedy for a cough (casachd, a cough ; aighe or ice, a remedy). ‘The leaves smoked, or a syrup or decoction of them and the flowers, stand recom- mended in coughs and other disorders of the breast and lungs” (Lightfoot). Welsh: carn y ebol (carn, hoof, and eéo/ foal or colt), colt’s-foot.

Senecio vulgaris—Groundsel. Gaelic: am 4ualan, from dual, aremedy. ZLus Phara liath,’ grey Peter's weed, a name suggested by its aged appearance, even in the spring-time. Latin: senecio. Welsh : den felan, sly woman. Sdil bhuinn (sacl, a heel; buinn, an ulcer). ‘The Highlanders use it externally in cataplasms as

1In Breadalbane, Glenlyon, and other places, the plant is called Zus Phara liath ; Lus Phara Lisle—

Prov.—Lus Phara liath cuiridh e ghoimh as a’ chraimh.” The groundsel will extinguish acute pain in the bone—

it being frequently applied as a cure for rheumatic pains.

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a cooler, and to bring on suppurations” (Lightfoot). Grunnasg (from grunnd, ground; German: grund). Welsh: grunsel. Manx: grunlus.

© Muran brighor ’s an grunnasg lionmhor.”—MACINTYRE. The sappy carrot and the plentiful groundsel.

Irish: crann lus, the plough-weed. Buafanan na h-easgaran (éuaf, a toad, a serpent, but in this name evidently a corruption from dualan, a remedy, or duaidh, to overcome; easgaran, the plague), a remedy for the plague. A name given also to the ragwort.

8. palludocis—O’Reilly gives the name Soglus, but he is wrong; the name does not apply. It is almost extinct now, but ‘sometimes found in the Fen counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, -&c. For Boglus, see “ Lycopsis.”

S. Jacobea—Ragwort. Gaelic and Irish: duadhlan buidhe (from duadh, to overcome ; duzdhe, yellow); duadhghallan, the stripling or branch that overcomes ; guiseag bhuidhe, or cutseag, the yellow-stalked plant ; cuzseag, a stalk. Manx: cushag.

Prov.— Za airh er cushagynn ayns shen.” There is gold on the ragwort there—

-alluding to its profusion of yellow flowers,

Inula Helenium—Elecampane, said to be from the officinal name, zula campana, but probably a corruption of Helénula, Little Helen (Jones). Greek: éAevos, the elecampane. Gaelic: -aillean sometimes uilleann. Irish: Ellea (Gaelic, Zividh), Helen, Welsh: elentum. The famous Helen of Troy, who is said to have availed herself of the cosmetic properties of the plant. Creamh, sometimes, but more generally applied to Addium ursinum (which see). The Elecampane is an aromatic plant, with large -downy leaves something like a docken leaf (copag). Its roots -contain a white starchy powder called Inuline, from which medi- -cines were extracted for the cure of dyspepsia and lung affections. It furnishes the Vin d’ Aulnée of the French. It is still frequently met with in cottage gardens.

Bellis perennis—Daisy. Gaelic and Irish: wedinean or nodinean,

the noon-flower (from zdéz, noon; Welsh: zawn; Latin: nona, the ninth hour, from zovem, ninth. The ninth hour, or three in

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the afternoon, was the noon of the ancients). Manx: neaynin.. Welsh: Z/ygad y dydd, the eye of the day (Daisy).

“San nedinean beag’s mo lamh air cluain.”—MIANN A BHAIRD AOsDA.. And the little daisy surrounding my hillock.

Buidheag (in Perthshire), the little yellow one.

‘*Geibh sinn a’ bhuidheag 'san lon.”—OLD Sona. We shall find the daisy in the meadow.

It was the belief, of the Celtic people that when an infant was. taken away from earth a flower—the daisy—was sent. Malvina lost her infant son, and was inconsolable, sat brooding lonely, and would not look out even upon the sunshine. At length some of her attendants returned from a journey full of something new. They found the sorrowing mother sitting like a statue. “Oh, Malvina! your infant has come back—a wondrous new flower has come to earth—white are its leaves near the heart, but nearer the edges tinged with pink or crimson like an infant’s flesh. When the wind waves it on the hillside, you might say that there an infant in play moves from side to side. Oh, Malvina! come: come and see it.” And Malvina rose and looked upon the flower —a daisy—and no more mourned, saying, ‘This flower is Malvina’s son returned, will comfort all mothers that have lost their infants.”

Chrysanthemum segetum—Corn-marigold. Gaelic: dz/e: buidhe, the yellow blossom. Sileach coigreach, the stranger or foreigner. Irish: Bilich chuige. Liathan, lia, the hoary grey one (from Greek Atos; Welsh: Zwyd), on account of the light- grey appearance of the plant, expressed botanically by the term glaucous. Manx: Castag vuigh. Lus airh, gold flower, the flower being yellow. dm dithean dir, the golden flower, or chrysan- themum (xpvo0s, gold ; avGos, a flower).

‘* Mar mhin-chioch nan dr dhithean beag.” Like the tender breast of the little marigold.

“Do dhithean lurach, luaineach, Mar thuairneagan de'n or.” Thy lovely marigolds like waving cups of gold. “ Dithean” is frequently used in a general sense for “flower,” also- for ‘‘darnel.”

“« Tir nan dithean miadar daite.” Land of flowers, meadow dyed.

‘¢ Dithean nan gleann.” The flowers of the valley.

Welsh: gold mair, marigold. Irish: dwafanan buidhe, the yellow

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toad. losgat (O’Reilly). It was used to soothe throbbing pains: (Alosg, to throb).

C. leucanthemum—Ox-eye. Gaelic: an’ nedinein mor, the big- daisy. Am bréinean-brothach (bréine, stench; brothach, scabby).

Ox-eye daisy, called in the Gaelic “ Breinean brothach.” Brein- ean or brainean also means a king; Welsh, dvenhin. The word’ is now obsolete in the Highlands. Zasduig-ban and easbadh brothach (the King’s-evil). This plant was esteemed an excellent remedy for that complaint. Irish: easbuig Speain (Speain or Easbain, Spain).

Anthemis nobilis—Common chamomile. Camomhil, from the Greek xapau pndov, which Pliny informs us was applied to the- plant on account of its smelling like apples. (Spanish: mancznila, a little apple). Lws-nan-cam-bhil (Mackenzie), the plant with drooping leaves. A corruption from the Greek.

‘* Bi’dh mionntain camomhil ’s sobhraichean Geur bhileach, lonach, luasganach.”—MAcINTYRE.

There will be mints, chamomile, and primroses, Sharp-leaved, pratling, restless.

Luibh-leighis, the healing plant. This plant is held in consider- able repute, both in the popular and scientific Materia Medica.

A. pyrethrum—Pellitory of Spain. Gaelic: dus na Spdine, the Spanish weed.

A. cotula—Szne// (Threl), stinking May-weed. Probably szne,. a teat; and amhuzl, like. The teat-like appearance of its com- posite flower is very striking; it and others of the chamomile: tribe were popular cures for swellings and inflammations. Rare in the Highlands, it is frequent in the South and in Ireland.

A. arvensis—Field chamomile. Irish: coman mionla (coman, a common ; mionda, fine-foliaged. Gaelic: min lach).

Matricaria indora—Scentless May-weed. Gaelic: duédheag an’ arbhair, the corn daisy. Camomhil fhiadhain, wild chamomile.

M. parthenium—Jeadh duach (O'Reilly), fever few; meadh drush (Threl). Decoctions of these plants mixed with honey were formerly in use as cures for fevers and diseases of the uterus, and other unmentionable complaints.

Tanacetum vulgare—Tansy. Gaelic: lus na Fraing, the French weed. (French, /anazsie.) Irish: ¢amhsae, corruptions from Athanasia. Greek: a, privative, and Gavaros, death, ze.,

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a plant which does not perish—a name far from applicable to this species). It is also called Jus an righ, the king’s plant. Lus na fecog (O'Reilly and others). It looks as if “fécog” was the digammated form of the old Irish e¢ or ewg, death.

Eupatorium cannabinum—Hemp agrimony. Gaelic and Irish: endib uisge or canaib utsge, water-hemp (from Greek kavvafis ; Latin: cannabis, hemp. Manx: Kennip. —

Bidens cernua— Bur marigold. Irish: sceachog Mhuire, Mary’s haw.

Achillea ptarmica—Sneezewort. Gaelic: cruaidh lus, hard weed. (Latin: crudus, hard, inflexible). Meacan ragaim, the stiff plant Lus a’ chorrain (Threl), sickle weed. otbhe, moppy. Welsh: ystrewlys, sneezewort.

A. millefolium—Yarrow. Gaelic: /us chosgadh na fola, the plant that stops bleeding. Zus na fola, the blood weed ; dus an tsleisneach (Carmichael). Larr thalmhuinn, that which clothes the earth (earr, clothe, array). Athair thalmhuinn, the ground father. Cathair thalmhuinn, the ground seat or chair. Probably alterations of earr (for thalmhuinn see Bunium flexuosum). Manx: airh-hallooin. Welsh: milddai/—milfoil (thousand-leaved).

“ Cathair thalmhuinn’s carbhin chroc-cheannach.”—MACINTYRE. The yarrow and the horny-headed caraway. LEarr thalmhuinn—The yarrow, cut by moonlight by a young woman, with a black handled knife, and certain mystic words, similar to the following, pronounced :— ‘** Good-morrow, good-morrow, fair yarrow, And thrice good-morrow to thee ; Come, tell me before to-morrow, Who my true love shall be.” ‘The yarrow is brought home, put into the right stocking, and placed under the pillow, and the mystic dream is expected; but if she opens her lips after she has pulled the yarrow, the charm is broken. Allusion is made to this superstition in a pretty song quoted in the “ Beauties of Highland Poetry,” p. 381, beginning— “© Gun dh’eirich mi moch, air madainn an dé, S ghearr mi’n earr thalmhuinn, do bhri mo sgéil, I rose yesterday morning early, And cut the yarrow because of my misery, \ An duil gu’m faicinn-sa rhin mo chléibh ; Ochdin ! gu’m facas, ’s a ctl rium féin.”

oI

Expecting to see the beloved of my heart. Alas! I saw her—but her back was towards me.

The superstitious customs described in Burns’s “ Hallow-e’en,” were common among the Celtic races, and are more common on the western side of Scotland, from Galloway to Argyle, in conse- sequence of that district having been occupied for centuries by’ the Dalriade Gaels.

Solidago virgaurea — Golden rod. Gaelic: /ucnnseog coille? A name given by Shaw to the herb called “ Virgo pastoris.” Also one of the names of the mountain-ash (Pyrus aucuparia, which see.) Manx: s/at-airh (Ralfe) Golden rod.

Jasione montana—Sheep-bit. Gaelic: dubhan nan caora (O'Reilly). Dudhan, a kidney ; caora, sheep. Putan gorm, blue button. Manx: duttonyn gorrym, blue buttons. Welsh: clefryn.

Hieracium—Hawkweed, us na seobhaig. Manx: lus ny shirree, hawkweed.

CAMPANULACEE. Campanula—Gaelic: darr-cluigeannach, bell-flowered.

“‘Barr-cluigeannach sinnteach gorm-bhileach.” Bell-flowered extended, blue-petalled.

C. rotundifolia—Round-leaved bell-flower. Gaelic: 702 na cubhaig, the cuckoo’s shoe. Am pluran cluigeannach, the bell- like flower. Welsh: 4ysedd ellyilon, imp’s fingers Scotch : witch’s thimbles. Also in Irish, #éavacan Puca, Puck’s thimbles.

Lobelia dortmanna—Water-lobelia. P/ir an lJochain, the lake- flower.

ERICACE#.

Erica tetralix—Cross-leaved heath. General name Fraoch, anciently Ur. Gaelic: fraoch Frangach, French heath. raoch an ruinnse, rinsing heath; a bunch of its stems tied together makes an excellent scouring brush, the other kinds being too coarse. (Fraoch, anciently /raech.) Welsh: griig. Greek: épérxw, eveiko, to break, from the supposed quality of the species in breaking the stone (medicinally). The primary meaning seems to be to burst, to break, and appears to be cognate with the Latin fractum. Fraoch also means wrath, fury, hunger. “Laoch bu

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charg fraoch” (Ull.), a hero of the fiercest wrath. “Fraoch!” fury, the war-cry of the M‘Donalds. Old Irish: /raich. The Badge of Conn of a hundred fights. ‘‘Leathaid folt fada fratch, Forbrid canach fann finn.” —-FinN MacCuMHalIL. Spreads heath its long hair, flourishes the feeble fair cotton grass.

E. vagans.—Cornish heath. Celtic: gooneleg (Dr. Hooker), the bee’s resort.

E. cinerea.—Smooth-leaved heath. Gaelic: fraoch a’ bhadain, the tufted heath. Déith fraoch—(Logan)—Our Gaelic word dluth, close. The leaves are finer than in the other species It is in its glory in July. Its dark purple is very conspicuous in that month.

‘Barr an fhraoch bhadanaich.”—OLD SONG. The top of the tufted heath.

“Gur badanach, caoineil, mileanta, Cruinn mopach, min cruth, mongonnach, Fraoch groganach, du-dhonn gris dearg.”—M‘INTYRE.

Literally-— That heath so tufty, mellow, sweet-lipped, Round, moppy, delicate, ruddy, Stumpy, brown, and purple. Fraoch an dearrasain, the heath that makes a rustling or buzzing ‘sound. Fraoch spreadanach, crackling heather.

The badge of Clan Donnachaidh or Robertson.

E. Hibernica—A m Fraoch Eirionnach—(Canon Bourke) (Hooker) —The Irish heath. The name is distinctive—not found in Great Britain, but in Ireland in bog heaths in Mayo and Galway, also on the Mediterranean shores. The Irish natives delight to sell bunches of it to travellers.

> Dabeocia polifolia—F7aoch Dhaboch—(Canon Bourke, Don, and

others). St. Dabeoc’s heath. Many of our Gaelic names are those of saints—St. Patrick, St. Columba, St. Bennett, St. Bridget, &c. Native of the West of Ireland, on Craig Phadraigh and other places, but not in Scotland or England. A shrub of about one to two feet in height.

Calluna vulgaris.—Ling heather. Gaelic and Irish: fraoch. Manx: “rveogh. Heath or heather is still applied to many im- ‘portant domestic purposes, thatching houses, &c., and “the hardy Highlanders frequently make their beds with it—the roots down

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and the tops upwards—and formerly tanned leather, dyed yarn, and even made a kind of ale from its tender tops.” Langa {M‘Kenzie), ling. raoch gorm.

The badge of the M‘Donalds.

C. Vulgaris variety Alba—Fraoch geal, white heath. This is -only the common ling heather that blooms so profusely in August. ‘Occasionally other species are also white, but the ling most frequently. Colour alone does not form a distinctive variety. ‘There must be something more, and in this case the flowers are less crowded and smaller. It has always been considered an emblem of good luck, and became recently more so by the fact that the late Emperor of Germany is said to have presented our Princess Royal with a bunch of white heather, gathered on Craig “Gowan, when he made a momentous proposition to her.

Phyllodoce Menziesia—/raoch nam Meinnearach (Logan), the yew-leaved heath, called AMenzie heath by Logan, and he assumes that it was so called because it was the badge of that clan. It was named Menzzesta in honour of Archibald Menzies, F.L.S., &c., surgeon and naturalist to the expedi- tion under Vancouver, in which voyage he gathered many plants new to botany on the west coast of America, New Holland, and other countries. Specimens of this heath were discovered on the Sow of Athol and a few near Aviemore and Strathspey. The Menzies Clan may have had a heath for their badge, but most certainly not this one. It is extremely rare, if not now extinct in our country, though dis- tributed widely in other countries. For a similar reason the Mackays may claim Zefralix Mackayi as their badge if they are ‘so minded.

Azalea proeumbens—Zusan Albannach. No English name. Yet Logan* gives this most indefinite Gaelic name, Lusan Alban- nach! (Scottish plant). It is a pretty little, heath-like, trailing plant, with pink flowers, not uncommon in the Highlands at an altitude of 1500 to 3600 feet.

Arbutus Uva-Ursi—Red bearberry. Gaelic: grainnseag, small, grain-like. It has small red Jderries, which are a favourite food for moorfowl. SBraocileag nan con, the dogs’ berry. Lusra na geire boirnigh (O’Relly), the plant of bitterness ; dozrnzgh, feminine. (See pezonia.)

The badge of the Clan Colquhoun.

* James Logan, F.S.A.S., author of ‘The Scottish Gael,” Vol. I. p, 300-1-2,

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A, alpina—The black bearberry. Gaelic: graznnseag dhubh, the black grain-like berry.

A. unedo — Strawberry-tree Irish : catthne (O’Donovan). Caithim, I eat or consume.

Vaccinium myrtillus—Whortleberry. Gaelic: vs nan deare, the berry plant (dearc) a berry). Geur-dhearc, sour berry. fraochan, that which grows among the heather. The berries are: used medicinally by the Highlanders, and made into tarts and jellies, which. last is mixed with whisky to give it a relish for strangers. Dearcan-fithich, the raven’s berries. It dyes blue.

V. vitis - idea — Cowberry ; red whortleberry ; Gaelic: /us nam braoighleag. Irish: braighleog (from braigh, top, summit, a mountain), the mountain-plant ; ordinary signification, a berry. Bo.dhearc, cowberry. (“86, a cow, from which the Greeks. derived Boos, an ox”—Armstrong.) Latin: vacca and vaccinium.

“*Do leacan chaoimhneil gu dearcach braoighleagach.” Thy gentle slopes abounding with whortleberries and cowberries.

Badge of Clan Chattan septs

Andromeda polifolia — Ros-Mairi fiadhaich (Logan), marsh. andromeda. The Gaelic name means “the wild rosemary.” The rosemary belongs to a different order (Zadéate). The Andro- meda grows among our peat bogs from Perthshire southward ;. from 6 to 12 inches in height ; leaves very leathery ; with white: or pink bell, or rather heath-like flowers. It produces a very acrid narcotic, which proves fatal to sheep.

The badge of Clan Rose.

V. oxycoccos—Cranberry. Gaelic and Irish: madleag, a word. meaning a little frog ; the frogberry. It flourishes best in boggy situations. Fraochag, because it grows among the heather. Monog, bog or peat berry. JAfionag, the small berry. “The cruibin is the cranberry.”—Ed. Gaelic Journal. Manx: smeyr chyree, the sheep’s bramble.

Badge of the Macaulays,

V. uliginosum—The bogberry. Gaelic: dearc roide, the gall.

1 Originally from dearc, the eye; Sansk., davg, to see. The dark fruit resembling the pupil of the eye—hence the frequent comparisons of the eye (szil) to this fruit (dearvcag) in Gaelic poetry.

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or bitter berry. Manx: Farrane. The fruit abounds with an acid juice ; when the ripe fruit is eaten, it occasions headache and giddiness.

Blainsneog—This name is in O’Donovan’s Supplement as the “‘Bogberry” in Donegal. The Irish name means small flowered, blath, bloom, and snetdhe, small. Critibin, the cranberry—(Z@. Gaelic Journal. See Lotus).

The badge of Clan Buchanan.

ILEACE&.

Ilex aquifolium—Holly. Gaelic: cuc/ionn, and Irish, cuclenn. Welsh: celyz. A.-S.: holegn. (Cin Gaelic corresponds with # in the Germanic languages.) The leaves of this tree are very prickly, and thus guard against cattle eating the young shoots. Welsh: celyn, tree, shelterer or protector ; ce/, conceal, shelter, cover.

‘* Ma théid thu ruisgte troimh thom droighinn *S coiseachd cas-lom air preas cuilinn Cadal gun Iéin’ air an eanntaig, *S racadal itheadh gun draing ort,” &c.—BLAR SHUNADAIL.

If you go naked through a thorn thicket, And walk barefooted on the holly, Sleep without a shirt on the nettle, And eat horse-radish without a grin, &c.

The badge of Clan Macmillan.

OLEACE.

Diospyros ebenus—Allied to the Holly and the Olive is the Ebony tree mentioned in Ezekiel xxvii. 15. ‘‘ Thug iad a d’ionns- uidh mar thiodhlac, adharca deud-chramh, agus eéonz.” It is. remarkable for its hardness and black colour. Dubh-fhiodh, Black wood. MHeb.: eden, a stone.

Olea europea—European olive. Gaelic and Irish: crann oladh or ola (Greek: éAaia, a word according to Du Théis. derived from the Celtic; Welsh: o/ew), the oil-tree. Sgolog (O'Reilly).

‘* Sgaoilidh e gheugan agus bithidh a mhaise mar an crann-oladh.” “He will spread his branches, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree.”--

Hossa, xiv. 6. E

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There are two varieties of the olive tree. The w/d olive isa low spiny tree, the branches of which were grafted on the culti- vated olive. It is the one alluded to in Romans xi. 17. “Agus ma tha cuid do na geugaibh air am briseadh dheth, agus gu bheil thusa, a bha a’d’ chrann oladh fiadhaich, air do shuidheachadh ’nam measg ; agus maille riu a’ faotinn comhpairt do fhreimh agus do reamhrachd a’ chroinn-oladh.” (And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree).

Syringa vulgaris—Lilac-tree. Gaelic: craobh lath ghorm. Manx: ya villey laylac, the lilac tree.

Ligustrum vulgare—Privet. Gaelic: ras chrann stor uaine, the evergreen shrubbery-tree. Priobaid (M‘Donald). Irish: priobhadh, formed from “privet” probably named from being formally cut or trimmed. (Skeat).

Fraxinus excelsior—Ash. Gaelic and Irish: craobh uinns- eann. Irish: uinseann, uimhseann, altered into fuinse, fuinseann, JSuinseog

“ Gabhaidh an t-zzanseann as an allt *S a’ challtuinn as a’ phreas.””—PROVERB. The ash will kindle out of the burn, And the hazel out of the bush.

Welsh: onen, onwydden, corresponding to another Irish name, nion. Gaelic: muin, and also otnseann. Manx: unjin, nion. The names refer principally to the wood, and the primary idea seems to be lasting, long-continuing, 0” (in Welsh), that which is in continuity. Vuzn, also the letter N of the Gaelic alphabet. Fuinnseann (see Circea), may have been suggested by its frequent use in the charms and enchantments so common in olden times, especially against the bites of serpents, and the influence of the ‘Old Serpent.” Pennant, in 1772, mentions: “In many parts of the Highlands, at the birth of a child, the nurse puts the end of a green stick of ash into the fire, and while it is burning, receives into a spoon the sap or juice which oozes out at the other end, and administers this to the new-born babe.” Serpents were supposed to have a special horror of its leaves.

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‘* Theid an nathair troimh an teine dhearg Mu’n teid i troimh dhuilleach an winnsinn.”

The serpent will go through fire, rather than through the leaves of the ash.

It was a most potent charm for cures of diseases of men and animals—e.g., murrain in cattle, caused, it was supposed, by being stung in the mouth, or by being bitten by the larva of some moth. “ Bore a hole in an ash-tree, and plug up the caterpillar in it, the leaves of that ash are a sure specific for that disease.” Martin adds, ‘“‘the chief remedies were ‘charms’ for the cure of their diseases.”

The badge of Clan Menzies, according to some authorities.

Vinca minor—Periwinkle. Gaelic and Irish: Faochag, Paochag na gille-fuinbrinn, Gilleachafionn, Gilleachfionntruinn, Giorradan —all dictionary names given for “ A periwinkle.” Which do they mean—the little univalve whelk of the sea-side or the evergreen trailing plant Vinca Minor? Shaw gives “Gilleachafionn, peri- winkle that dyes red.” He clearly means this plant. Logan gives the second name as a badge plant. But here the difficulty arises, Where were they to get it? It is not indigenous to the Highlands, and probably only naturalised south of Stafford. It is now pretty frequently met with in gardens, rockeries, &c., bear- ing a pretty blue flower. Manx: Fughage.

The badge of Clan Maclachlan.

GENTIANACEZ.

Gentiana campestris —Field gentian. Gaelic: lus a’ chribain, the crouching plant, or the plant good for the disease called cruban, ‘which attacks cows, and is supposed to be produced by hard grass, scanty pasture, or other causes. The cows become lean and weak, with their hind-legs contracted towards the fore- feet, as if pulled by a rope” (Armstrong). This plant, in common with others of this genus, acts as an excellent tonic; its qualities were well known in olden times. Welsh: crwyndlys. Gaelic: creamh, is given also a name for gentian.

‘In Scandinavian mythology the first man was called As, and the first woman Ambla—ash and elm. The gods is represented in the Edda as held under an ash—Yggdrasil. Connected with these circumstances probably arose the superstitions -CHAMBERS’S ENCYCLOPADIA.

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“ON creanth na charaichean, Am bac nan staidhrichean.”—MAcINTYRE. Which Dr. Armstrong translates, “gentian in beds or plots.” The name crveamh also applies to the leek. Cveamh, hart’s tongue: fern, garlic, and elecampane. Currachd an Easbuig (Carmichael), Bishop’s hood or night-cap. Manx: /us-y-vinghagh jaundice: wort. It was considered a remedy for that complaint.

Erythreza, from epudpos, evythros, red flowers.

E. centaurium—Century; red gentian. Irish: Ceadharlach (O’Reilly), the centaur. It is said that with this plant Chiron cured the wound caused by the arrows of Hercules in the Centaur’s foot. Gaelic, according to Armstrong: ceud bhileach, meaning hundred-leaved. a corruption of the Irish name (Ceud, Irish: ceadh,; Latin: centum, a hundred),—the origin of the name being probably misunderstood. Manx: Keym- Chreest, Christ’s step. Welsh: Ysgol-Crist, Christ’s ladder. In the four- teenth century, this plant was called Christ’s ladder (Christi scala), from the name having been mistaken for Christ's cup: (Christi schale), in allusion to the bitter draft offered to our Lord on the Cross. Deagha dearg (Threl).

E, littoralis—Dwarft-tufted century. Gaelic and Irish: dreim- tre muir, the sea-side scrambler. Dvezm, climb, clamber, scramble,. muir; Latin: mare, German: meer, the sea.

Chlora perfoliata—Yellow-wort. Gaelic and Irish: dvedmire buidhe, the yellow scrambler. Not in the Highlands, but found in Ireland, whence the name.

Menyanthes trifoliata—Bog-bean, buck-bean, marsh trefoil. Gaelic and Irish: ponair chapull, the horse or mare’s bean. (See: Faba). Pacharan chapull, the horse or mare’s packs or wallets, from pac, a pack, a wallet, a bundle 7?i-d/i/each, the three- leaved plant. Manx: /ubber-lub. “ Lubber-lub ayns y curragh,” the bog bean in the rushy marsh.

“The Highlanders esteem an infusion or tea of the leaves as. good to strengthen a weak stomach” (Stuart). The leaves were: smoked as tobacco.

CONVOLVULAE.

Convolvulus arvensis—Field bindweed. Gaelic: ‘adh Jus, the plant that surrounds. (See Hedera helix.)

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€. sepium—Great bindweed. Gaelic and Irish: dui? mhial (Shaw), from du, catch with a loop; and mal, a louse,—really ‘signifying the plant that creeps and holds by twining.

Calystegia soldanella—Gaelic: F/ilr-a-Phrionnsa, the Prince’s flower. There is still growing a plant of pink convolvulus in the Island of Eriskay, Outer Hebgides, said to have been planted by Prince Charlie when he landed from a small frigate from France in July, 1745. It is, in consequence, known as “ Piir-a’- Phrionnsa.”

Cuscuta epilinum—Flax dodder. Irish : clamhainin lin, the flax kites. It is parasitical on flax, to the crops of which it is very destructive. C/uhan dearg (Threl). Cunach or (Gaelic) conach, that which covers, as a shirt, a disease. A general name applicable to all the species. Welsh: //tvdag, the flax choker.

SOLANACE&.

Solanum dulcamara—Bitter-sweet ; woody nightshade. Gaelic and Irish: searbhag mhilis. bitter sweet (Highland Society’s Dic. tionary). /uath gorm, the blue demon (/wazh, hate, aversion, a demon). Miotag bhuidhe. Irish: miathog buidhe, the yellow nipper, pincher, or biter Svat gorm (slat, a wand, a switch ; gorm, blue). Manx: Croan reisht. Dreimire gorm (O’Reilly)— dreimire, to climb, to ascend as on a ladder; gorm, blue. A trail- ing climbing plant, 4 to 6 feet high, common in hedges, with its bloom like the potato flower, with vivid red poisonous berries. ‘The leaves have the same narcotic qualities as tobacco. Not uncommon in hedges and copses from Islay and Ross southward, but rare in Ireland. A decoction of it is said to be good for 4nternal injuries.

S. tuberosum—Potato. Gaelic: dun-fafa, adaptation of the ‘Spanish datata. Sir John M‘Gregor has ingeniously rendered the ‘word bun-taghta, a choice root!

Atropa belladona — Deadly nightshade ; dwale, banewort. ‘Gaelic and Irish: lus na h-oidhche, the nightweed, on account of its large black berries and its somniferous qualities. Buchanan relates the destruction of the army of Sweno, the Dane, when he ‘invaded Scotland, by the berries of this plant, which were mixed with the drink with which, by their truce, they were to supply

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the Danes, which so intoxicated them that the Scots killed the greater part of the Danish army while they were asleep. Welsh: y gysiadur, the putter to sleep. Zws na dih mor (Threl). Lindley says—“ It produces intoxication, accompanied by fits of laughter and violent gestures; great thirst, convulsions, and death.” Hence, I suspect, the origin of the name in Irish Gaelic. The “ah” for dibhe, drink. The plant of the big thirst.

Madragora officinalis—Mandrake. JJ/andrag. Another plant of the tobacco and nightshade order, and possessing the narcotic qualities of some of the plants of that order, especially as a cure for insomnia. Levinus Leminus reports ‘‘that, sitting in his study, upon a sudden he became drowsy and found the cause to be the scent of one of the apples of the mandrake, which had lain on the: shelf therein, which being removed the drowsiness ceased.” It had an exaggerated reputation as an aphrodisiac, which the story of Rachel confirms (Genesis xxx.)

Hyoscyamus niger — Henbane. Gaelic and Irish: gagaw gafann (gabhann), the dangerous one. Detheogha, deodha, deo,. breath, that which is destructive to life. Caothach-nan-cearc, that which maddens the hens. Its seeds are exceedingly obnoxious. to poultry, hence the English name henbane. The whole plant is. a dangerous narcotic. Welsh: Zéewyg yr jar, preventing or curing faintness Manx: Connagh ny giark, lus ny meisht.

Nicotiano tobacum—Tobacco. Gaelic: fombac. ‘“ Tombac” and many other Gaelic and English names are alterations of the scientific names. Similarly “tea,” (¢). Armstrong defines tea as. “Lus otrthireach ainmeil air nach urrainn mise Gaidlig a chur ach sigh-luib, an sigh lus, brigh an t-sugh luibh.” A famous Oriental plant, which I am not able to give any Gaelic but the juice plant or decoction herb.

SCROPHULARIACEA.

Verbascum thapsus—Mullein ; hag’s taper; cow’s lungwort. Gaelic and Irish: cudneal Afhuive, or cuingeal Mhuire from cuing,. asthma, or shortness of breath. Bo-choinneal, cow's candle. In pulmonary diseases of cattle it is found to be of great use, hence the name, cow’s lungwort, or cuimge, narrowness, straightness, from its high, tapering stem. (JZhuire, Mary’s).

Veronica beccabunga—Brooklime. Gaelic: Zochal, from Joch,

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a lake, a pool, pool-weed or lake-weed, being a water-plant. Lothal (lo, water). Trish: Lochal mothair; Irish: btolair Mhuire, Mary’s cress. Welsh: //ychlys y dwfr, squatter in thé water.

V. officinale—Common speedwell. Gaelic and Irish: /us cré, the dust weed. Seamar chré (see Oxalts)

V. anagallis—Water-speedwell. Irish: /ualachter, fual, water, the one that grows in the water.

V. chamoedrys—Moulough (Threl), nuallach (O'Reilly), geri- mander speedwell.

A small trailing plant, growing almost everywhere, and ascend- ing the mountains to the height of 2700 feet. The flower is bright blue, scarcely half an inch in diameter, and small hairy hearts-haped leaves, deeply toothed. This plant was used medi- cinally on account of its acrid, bitterish taste, causing stomachic pains Muall a howling cry, may have originated the names.

Euphrasia officinalis—Eyebright. Gaelic: /us nan leac, the hillside plant ; Zeac, a declivity. Soillseachd nan sitl, soillse nan sal (M‘Donald), that which brightens the eye. Rein an ruisg (Stuart), water for the eye. Glan ruts, the eye-cleaner. Lightfoot mentions that the Highlanders of Scotland make an infusion of it in milk, and anoint the patient’s eyes with a feather dipped in it, as a cure for sore eyes. Irish: radharcain (radhairc), sense of sight. Zin radharc (lin, the eye, wet), the eye-wetter or washer. © Raeimin-radhairc (reim, power, authority), that which has power over the sight. Roisnin, rosg, the eye, eyesight. Cacimin (caoimh), clean. Manx: lus y tooill. Welsh: gloywlys, the bright plant. ‘’Ziysieuyn eufras, the herb Euphrasia (from evppatvw, euphraino, to delight, from the supposition of the plant curing blindness). Arnoldus de Villa saith, ‘It has restored sight to them that have been blind a long time before; and if it were but as much used as it is neglected, it would half spoil the spectacle trade” (Culpepper).

Pedicularis sylvatica—Dwarf red rattle. Irish: /usan grolla.

P, palustris—Louse-wort ; red rattle. Gaelic: lus riabhach, the brindled plant, possibly a contraction of riabhdheargach (Irish), red-streaked, a name which well describes the appearance of the plant. M@odhalan dearg, the red modest one. Lus na mial, _ louse-wort, from the supposition that sheep that feed upon it

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become covered with vermin. Bainne ghabhar, goat’s milk, from the idea that when goats feed on it they yield more milk. Its beautiful pink flowers were used as a cosmetic. ‘* Sail-chuach ’s bainne ghabhar, *Shuadh ri t-aghaidh, ’S cha ’n ’eil mac righ air an domhain, Nach bi air do dheidh.”

Rub thy face with violet, and goat’s milk, And there is no prince in the world Who will not follow thee. Milsean monah (Threl). Baine ghamhnach is given for the honeysuckle in Ireland, whereas in the Highlands it is often applied to the red rattle.

Rhinanthus crista galli—The yellow rattle. Gaelic: modh- alan bhuidhe, the yellow modest one. Bodach nan claigionn, or (Irish) coigionn, a skull, from the skull-like appearance of its inflated calyces. G/aodhran, given in the dictionaries for this plant, also for wood sorrel, meaning a rattle.

Antirhinum orontium—Snapdragon, Sviumh na laogh (Threl), meaning calf’s snout. Known only in Scotland in gardens, but not uncommonly met with in the south of England, but rare in Treland as a wild flower. In fact, it is only a colonist from the Continent. Turner, the herbalist (1548), wrote : ‘‘ Antirhinon groweth in many places of Germany in the corne fieldes, and it maye be called in Englishe calfe snoute.” The Welsh have the same name, ¢rwynz y lo. Manx: b/aa daanee, calf’s flower. By “ Syiumh” Threkeld means srudf, the Irish for snout.

Scrophularia nodosa—Figwort. Gaelic: Jus nan cnapan, the knobbed plant, from its knobbed roots. Old English: kernel. wort. Donn-lus (Dun-lus, O’Reilly), brown-wort, from the brown tinge of the leaves. Farach dubh—dubh, dark. Irish: fotrum (fot, fothach), glandered—from the resemblance of its roots to tumours. In consequence of this resemblance it was esteemed a remedy for all scrofulous diseases; hence the generic name Scrophularia.

Digitalis purpurea—Foxglove. Gaelic: /us-nam-ban-sith, the fairy women’s plant. Mewran sith (Stuart), the fairy: thimble. Irish: an stothan (stoth, Gaelic: sith) means peace. Sizhich, a fairy, the most active sprite in Highland and Irish mythology.

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_Meuran) nan daoine marbh, dead men’s thimbles. Meuran nan cailleacha marbha, dead women’s thimbles. In Skye it is called clochan nan cailleacha marbha (Nicolson), the dead old women’s paps. Irish: szam (or stonn, Threl) sleibhe. (Sian, a charm or spell, a wise one, a fox; s/ezbhe, a hill). Welsh: menyg edlyllon, fairy glove. O’Reilly gives another Irish name, Jo/ean dete (diminu- tive of do/g,a sack,a bag. And frequently in the Highlands ‘the plant is known by the familiar name, az Jus mor, the big plant. us a’ bhalgair (in Aberfeldy), Meregan na mna sidhe, (Threl), the fairy woman’s thimbles or fingers. Manx: s/eiggan- .shleeu, Cleaver sharpener. Its leaves were applied to bring boils, -&c., to a head (Moore).

OROBANCHACE

(From Greek, opofes, orobos, a vetch, and pAyéww, to strangle, in allusion to the effect of these parasites in smothering and destroy- ‘ing the plants on which they grow.) The name muchog (from much, smother, extinguish, suffocate) is applied to all the species.

QO. major and minor—Broom-rape. and Irish Gaelic: séorra- tach (Shaw)—sior, vetches, being frequently parasitical on legu- minous plants; or séorrachd, rape.

VERBENACEA.

Verbena officinalis— Vervain. Gaelic and Irish: /¢rom- bhoid,—trom, a corruption of drum, from Sanscrit ddru, wood; hence Latin, drvus, an oak, and ddid, a vow. Welsh: aderwen fendigaid, literally, blessed oak—the “herba sacra” of the ancients. Manx: vervine. ‘It was the most potent of all herbs in nullifying the effects of all malign influences. Vervain was taken by the fishermen in their boats to bring good luck. Mr. Roeder says it was sewn into babies’ clothes, to protect them against fairies, and a tea was made of it by grown-up people for the same purpose” (Moore). Vervain was employed in the reli gious ceremonies of the Druids Vows were made and treaties ratified by its means “Afterwards all sacred evergreens, and aromatic herbs, such as holly, rosemary, &c., used to adorn the altars, were included under the term verbena” (Brockie). This

1 Meuran and digitalis (digitabulum), a thimble, in allusion to the form of the flower.

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will account for the name ¢rombhdid being given by O’Reilly as “vervain mallow ;” MacKenzie, “‘ladies’ mantle;” and Armstrong, “vervain.” Verbena—Latin: verdena, sacred bough.

Borlase, in his ‘Antiquities of Cornwall,” speaking of the Druids, says: ‘They were excessively fond of the vervain; they used it in casting lots and foretelling events. It was gathered at the rising of the Dog-star.”

LaBiaT&. (From Latin, /aézum, a lip, plants with lipped corolle). Gaelic: lusan lipeach, or bileach.

Mentha—(From Greek Miv6a, mintha. A nymph of that name who was changed into mint by Proserpine in a fit of jealousy, from whom the Gaelic name mount has been derived.) Welsh: mynzy's,

M. sylvestris—Horse mint Gaelic: mzonnt etch, horse mint: mionnt fhiadhain, wild mint; and if growing in woods, mzonnt chotlle, wood mint.

M. arvensis—Corn-mint. Gaelic: mionnt an arbhair, corn mint.

M. acquatica—Water-mint. Gaelic: cairtea/. Irish: carta/, cartloin, probably meaning the water-purifier, from the verb- cartam, to cleanse, and /ozn, a rivulet, or Zon, a marsh or swampy ground. A@is¢mean dearg (Armstrong), the rough red mint. The whole plant has a reddish appearance when young.

M. viridis—Garden-mint, spear mint. Gaelic: méonnt gha- vaidh, the same meaning; and meannfas, another form of the same name, but not commonly used.

‘* Oir a ta sibh a toirt an deachaimh as a’ mAzonnt.”—STUART. For ye take tithe of mint. M. pulegium— Pennyroyal. Gaelic: peighinn rioghail, the same meaning. ‘*“ Am bearnan bride ‘s a’ pheighinn rioghail.”—MACINTYRE. The dandelion and the Jennyroyal. Manx: /urgeydish. Welsh: coluddlys, herb good for the bowels. Dail y gwaed, blood leaf.

Calamintha—Gaelic: calameilt (from Greek, xaAéds, beautiful ;

and piv@a, mintha, mint), beautiful mint.

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C. clinopodium—Basil Tyme calamint. Zus an righ—The king’s mint, agreeing with Basil (das¢/icus, royal).

Rosmarinus officinalis — Common rosemary. Gaelic: rds Mhuire. Trish: ros-mar—mar-ros, sea dew, corruptions from the Latin (vos, dew, and marinus), the sea-dew. Rds Mhdiri, Mary's. Tose, or rosemary. Welsh: vos Mair. Among Celtic tribes rose- mary was the symbol of fidelity with lovers. It was frequently worn at weddings. In Wales it is still distributed among friends. at funerals, who throw the sprigs into the grave over the coffin.

Lavendula spica—Common lavender. Gaelic: Jus-na-tilise, the incense plant, on account of its fragrant odour. Ax lus hath,. the grey weed. Lothail, ‘‘ uisge an lothail,” lavender-water.

Satureia hortensis—Garden savory. Gaelic: garbhag ghar- aidh, the coarse or rough garden plant, from gardf, rough, &c.

Salvia verbenacea—Clary. The Gaelic and Irish name, /orman, applies to the genus as well as to this plant; it simply means. “the shrubby one” (¢or, a bush or shrub). The genus consists of herbs or undershrubs, which have generally a rugose appear- ance. A mucilage was produced from the seeds of this plant, which, applied to the eye, had the reputation of clearing it of dust ; hence the English name, “clear-eye,” clary.

S. officinalis—Garden-sage (of which there are many varieties). Gaelic: athair liath, the grey father. Sdaisde (from sage). Slan lus, the healing plant, corresponding with sa/via (Latin: salvere, to save). It was formerly of great repute in medicine. Armstrong remarks: ‘Bha barail ro mhor aig na seann Eadailtich do ’n lus so, mar a chithear o’n rann a leanas—

‘* Cur moriatur homo cui salvia crescit in horto?”

C’ arson a gheibheadh duine bas, Aig am bheil sdzsde fas na gharadh ?

Why should the man die who has sage growing in his garden?

Teucrium scorodonia — Wood-sage. Gaelic: sdisde coille, wood-sage. Sdisde fiadhain, wild sage. O’Reilly gives the name ebeirsluaigh, perhaps from odar, shall be refused, and s/uagh, people, multitude, because it did not possess the virtues attributed to the other species, and even cattle refused to eat it. But it was used as a cure for dysentry. Manx: lus y toar-vrein, bad smell herb ; creaghlagh. Welsh: saets gwyl/t, wood-sage.

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Thymus serpyllum—Thyme, wild thyme. Gaelic and Irish: lus mhic righ Bhreatainn, the plant belonging to the king of Britain’s son, This plant had the reputation of giving courage and strength through its smell; hence the English thyme (from Greek : Guyés, ¢hymos, courage, strength—virtues which were essential to kings and princes in olden times). Highlanders take an infusion of it to prevent disagreable dreams. Welsh: ¢ezm.

a marjorana Origanum| vulgare gan, the delight of the mountain. Greek: opos, ovos. Gaelic: ord, a mountain; and Greek ydvos, ganos, joy. Gaelic: gaz, clapping of hands. Zuws Mharsali, Marjorie’s plant. Seathbhog, the skin or hide softener (seathadh, a skin, a hide, and dag, soft). “The dried leaves are used in fomentations, the essential oil is so acrid that it may be considered as a caustic, and was formerly used as such by furriers” (Don). Welsh: y denrudd, ruddy- headed.

0. dictamnus—Dittany. The Gaelic and Irish name, Zus a’ phiobaire—given in the dictionaries for ‘‘dittany”—is simply a corruption of dus a’ pheubair, the pepperwort, and was in all probability applied to varieties of ZLefzdium as wellas to Origanum dictamni creti, whose fabulous qualities are described in Virgil’s 12th ‘ 4neid,’ and in Cicero’s ‘De Natura Deorum.’

} —Marjoram, Gaelic and Irish: ova-

Hyssopus officinalis—Common hyssop. Gaelic: iso. French: hysope. German, 7sop. Italian: zsopo (from the Hebrew name, ezob, or Arabian, azaf.

“* Glan mi le 4-2sop, agus bithidh mi glan.” Purge me with Ayssof, and I shall be clean.

There have been great differences of opinion regarding the plant meant by the Ayssop of the Bible. The best authority, Royle has come to the conclusion that it is the Capparis spinosa ‘or capper plant. It grows best on barren soil, old wells, and precipices. It is very bitter and pungent to the taste.

Ajuga reptans—Bugle. Gaelic: meacan dubh fiadhain (Arm- strong), the dusky wild plant. Welsh: glesyn y coed, wood-blue.

Nepeta glechoma—Ground-ivy. Gaelic: tadh-shlat thalmh- uinn, the ground-ivy. (See Hedera helix. and Bunium flexuo- sum). Nathair-lus, the serpent-weed—it being supposed to be

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efficacious against the bites of serpents ; hence the generic name, Nepeta from nepa, a scorpion. Irish : azgnean thalmhuinn, eidhn- ean thalmhuinn (see Hedera helix). Manx: airh halooin, ard- lossery, chief herb. Irish: Azthir Jus (O'Reilly). It was for- merly used for hops to make ale bitter, hence the name of *ale-hoof.” It is a creeping, trailing plant with ivy-like leaves and a small blue flower, very common as a garden weed. Welsh: eidral palf y lew, the lion’s paw. ‘It was used for purifying the blood, and for coughs” (Moore).

Ballota niger—Stinking horehound. Irish and Gaelic: grd- fan or graban dubh, the dark opposer (grad, to hinder or obstruct). It was a favourite medicine for obstructions of the viscera: or it may refer to grad, a notch, from its indented leaves.

Lycopus europoeus—Water-horehound. Irish: feoran curraidh, the green marsh-plant (cuzvach, a marsh).

Marrubium vulgare—White horehound. Gaelic and Irish: grafan or graban ban. (See Ballota niger). Orafoirt (O'Reilly). This plant has for ages been a popular remedy for coughs, rough- ness in the throat, and for more severe forms of colds; and infusions. of it in lozenges are still used by speakers and singers for the voice, hence by inference the origin of the Gaelic name, adapted from the Latin oratio, speech, and fortis, strong. Horehound was dedicated to the Egyptian god Horus (Strabo). The Irish name may be a derivitive. This plant is not found in the Highlands, and it is rare in Ireland.

Lamium album — White dead nettle: archangel. Gaelic: teanga mhin, the smooth tongue. Jonntag bhan, white nettle. Lonntag mharbh, dead nettle. (For donntag see Urtica.)

L. purpureum — The red dead-nettle. Gaelic: sonntag dhearg, red nettle.

L. amplexicaule—Henbit dead nettle. eantog heogh (Threl). Welsh: marddanadlen goch cylchddail, red round-leaved dead nettle,

Galeopsis tetrahit—Common hemp-nettle. Gaelic: an gatk dubh, the dark bristly plant (ga/A, a sting, a dart). It becomes. black when dry, and has black seeds.

G. versicolor—Large-flowered hemp-nettle. Gaelic: ax gath buidhe—an gath mor, the yellow bristly plant—the large bristly

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plant. Abundant in the Highlands, and troublesome to the reapers at harvest-time, from its bristly character. It is called yellow on account of its large yellow flower, with a purple spot on the lower lip.

Stachys betonica —Wood-betony. Gaelic: lus Bheathaig, from beatha. Latin: vita, life food. “ Betonic, a Celtic word ; ben, head, and ton, good, or tonic’ (Sir. W. J. Hooker). Probably the vetfones of (Pliny), a Gaulish name. ‘A precious herb, com- fortable both in meat and medicine” (Culpepper). Glasair choille, the wood salad. The green leaves were used as a salad: any kind of salad was called g/asag or glasatr.

S. sylvatica—Wound-wort. Gaelic: /us nan sgor, the wound- wort (sgor, a cut made by a knife or any sharp instrument). Inish : caubsadan.

8. palustris—Cuslin gaun dauri (Threl), woundwort. The woundwort got its English name from its wound-healing and blood-stopping qualities. Most likely Threlkeld means Cuts/ean gun doruinn (the old Irish word dogra, anguish). Veins without pain. Boys frequently use its leaves to stop bleeding and to soothe pain. Welsh: &7zwlys, woundwort.

Prunella vulgaris—Self-heal. Gaelic and Irish: dubhan ceann chosach, also dubhanuith. These names had probably reference to its effects as a healing plant. “It removes all obstructions of the liver, spleen, and kidneys” (duéhan, a kidney, darkness ; ceann, head, and csach, spongy or porous). S/aén dus, healing plant. us a’ chridh, the heart-weed. Irish: ceanabhan-beg, the little fond dame; cean, fond, elegant, and dan, woman, wife, dame.

BoRAGINACES.

Borago officinalis—Borage. Gaelic and Irish: dorrach. bor- raist, borraigh, all these forms are supposed to be derived from borago, altered from the Latin, cor, the heart, and ago, to act or effect. (But probably from Latin, 4u77a, rough hair, which is a characteristic of this family). The plant was supposed to give courage, and to strengthen the action of the heart; “it was one of the four great cordials.” ovr in Gaelic means bully or swagger ; and dorrach, a haughty man, a man of courage. Welsh: Jlawenllys (dlawen, merry, joyful), the joyful or glad plant.

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Lycopsis arvensis— Bugloss. Gaelic: lus teang’-an-daimh, ox-tongue. Bog/us, corruption of 40/2, an ox ; /us, a plant. Welsh: tafod yr ych, the same meaning ugloss, from Greek Bovs, Gous, an ox, and yAoowa, glossa, a tongue, in reference to the roughness and shape of the leaves.

Myosotis palustris—Marsh scorpion-grass or forget.me-not. Gaelic and Irish: cotharach, the protector (cothadh, protection) ; perhaps the form of the racemes of flowers, which, when young, bend over the plant as if protecting it. Las nam mial, the louse- plant—probably a corruption of mzagh, esteem. Lus midhe (O’Reilly), a sentimental plant that has always been held in high esteem.

Symphytum officinale—Comfrey. Gaelic: meacan dubh, the large or dark plant. Irish: dus na ccnamh briste, the plant for broken bones. The root of comfrey abounds in mucilage and was considered an excellent remedy for uniting broken bones. “Yea, it is said to be so powerful to consolidate and knit together, that if they be boiled with dissevered pieces of flesh in a pot, it will join them together again” (Culpepper).

Echium vulgare—Viper’s bugloss. Aoglus (see Lycopsis) and lus na nathrach, the viper’s plant.

Cynoglossum officinale—Common hound’s tongue. Gaelic and Irish: ‘eanga con (O'Reilly). Teanga ’choin, dog’s-tongue. Welsh: ¢afod y ci, same meaning. Greek: cynoglossum (xvwv, kyon, a dog, and yAwooa, g/ossa, a tongue), name suggested from the form of the leaves.

PINGUICULACE.

Pinguicula vulgaris—Bog-violet. Gaelic: drdg na cubhaig, the cuckoo’s shoe, from its violet-like flower. Badan measgan, the butter-mixer; dadan, a little tuft, and measgan, a little butter-dish ; or measg, to mix, to stir about. On cows’ milk it acts like rennet. Lus a’ bhainne, the milk-wort. It is believed it gives consistence to milk by straining it through the leaves. Oachdar, surface, top, cream—a name given because it was supposed to thicken the cream. Mdthan or moan (Lightfoot). “ Buainidh mise a’ mdthan, an luibh a bheannaich an Domhnach ; fhad ’a ghleidheas mi a’ mdthan cha’n ’eil beo air thalamh gina

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bheir bainne mo bhd bhuam.” (I will pull the bog violet, the herb blessed by the Church. So long as I preserve the bog violet, there lives not on earth one who will take my cow’s milk from me). These words were spoken whilst pulling the plants on a Sunday,. as a charm against witchcraft (Mackenzie).

PRIMULACEZ. Primula vulgaris—Primrose. Gaelic: sobhrach. Ir.: sobhrog:

“A shobhrach, geal-bhui nam bruachag, Gur fan-gheal, snuaghar, do ghniis ! Chinneas badanach, cluasach, Maoth-mhin, baganta luaineach.

Bi'dh tu t-eideadh ’san earrach *S cach ri falach an sul.”-—MACDONALD. Pale yellow primrose of the bank, So pure and beautiful thine appearance ! Growing in clumps, round-leaved, Tender, soft, clustered, waving ; Thou wilt be dressed in the spring When the rest are hiding in the bud. Early Irish: sodrach. “A befind in raga lim

I tir n-ingnad hifil rind ?

Is barr sobairche falt and,

Is dath snechtu chorp coind.”

O lady fair, wouldst thou come with me

To the wondrous land that is ours ?

Where the hair is as the blossom of primrose,

Where the tender body is as fair as snow.

—From the “ Wooing of Etain, an Old Saga.”—Dr. Hype.

Soradh, sotrigh, are contractions; also samharcan. Irish: sam- harcan (samhas, delight, pleasure). “Am bi na sdbhraichean ’s neoinean fann.”—OLD SONG.

‘* Gu tric anns ’na bhuain sinn an t-sdrach.”’-—MUNRO. Often we gathered there the primrose.

Manx: sumark. Welsh: briollu—briol, dignified ; al/wedd, key..

“The queenly key that opens the lock to let in summer” (Brockie).

P. veris—Cowslip. Gaelic: muisean, the low rascal, the devil. “ 4’ choire mhutseanatch,” a dell full of cowslips. Cattle refuse to eat it, therefore farmers dislike it. Brdg na cubhaig (Mac- kenzie), the cuckoo’s shoe. Irish: setchearlan, seichetrghin

SI

seicheirghlan, from seiche, hide or skin. It was formerly boiled, and “an ointment or distilled water was made from it, which addeth much to beauty, and taketh away spots and wrinkles of the skin, sun-burnings and freckles, and adds beauty exceed- ingly.” The name means the “skin-purifier.” Bazune bd bhuidhe, the yellow cow's milk. Baznne bd bleacht, the milk-cow’s milk. Manx: mez/ baa, cow’s lip.

P. auricula—Auricula. Gaelic: Jus na bann-righ, the queen’s flower. Sdbhrach chluasach, the ear-like primrose, formerly called bear’s ears.

P. polyanthus—Winter primrose. Gaelic: Sddhrach gheamh- raidh,

Cyclamen hederzfolia—Sow-bread. Gaelic: cudurin (perhaps from cud or cullach, a boar, and aran, bread), the boar’s bread.

Lysimachia (from Greek Avow paxdpat, I fight).

L. vulgaris—Loose-strife. Gaelic and Irish: Zus na sithchatne, the herb of peace (sith, peace, rest, ease ; cdin, state of). Con- aire, the keeper of friendship. The termination “aire” denotes an agent ; and conad//, friendship, love. Ax setleachan buidhe, the yellow willow herb.

L, nemorum—Wood loose-strife ; yellow pimpernel. Gaelic and Irish: seamhair Mhuire (seamhair, seamh, gentle, sweet, and JSeur, grass ; seamhrog (shamrock), generally applied to the trefoils and wood-sorrel. (See Oxatis.) Mhuire of Mary ; Afdiri, Mary. This form is especially applied to the Blessed Virgin Mary In the Mid-Highlands more frequently called Saman (Stewart). Lus Cholum-chille, the wort of St. Columba, the apostle of Scotland. Columb, a dove ; cille, of the church. This name is given in the Highlands to Hypericum, which see. osor (O'Reilly). Ros is sometimes used for Zus. Ros-or, yellow or golden rose. ‘From the Sanskrit, ruhsha or rusha, meaning tree, becomes in Gaelic ros, a tree or treelet, just as daksha, the right hand, becomes dexter in Latin and deas in Gaelic. os, therefore, means a tree or small tree, or a place where such trees grow—hence the names of places that are marshy or enclosed by rivers, as Roslin, Ross-shire, Ros- common,” &c.—Canon Bourke.

Anagallis arvensis— Pimpernel, poor man’s weather - glass. Gaelic: falcair. Irish: fakatre fiodhain, the wood cleanser (fal-

cadh, to cleanse). The name expressing the medicinal qualities F

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of the plant, which, by its purgative and cleansing power, removes obstructions of the liver, kidneys, &c. Falcatre fuar—falcaire also means a reaper, and /uar, cold; fuaradh, to cool, a weather- gauge The reaper’s weather-gauge, because it points out the decrease of temperature by its hygrometrical properties—when: there is moisture the flower does not open. ZLotsgean (Macdonald), from /oisg, to put in flame, on account of its fiery appearance. Ruinn ruise (O'Reilly). uinn means sex, and by pre-eminence: the “male ;” vuzse is the genitive case of vos. It is still called the male pimpernel in some places. The distilled water or juice of this plant was much esteemed formerly for cleansing the skin.

PLUMBAGINACE&,

Armeria maritima—Thrift. Gaelic: tonn a’ chladaich (Arm- strong), the ‘‘ beach-wave,” frequent on the sea-shore, banks of rivers, and even on the Grampian tops. arr-dearg, red-top, from its pink flower. MWedinean cladaich, the beach daisy, from cladach, shore, beach, sandy plain.

PLANTAGINACLA.

Plantago major—Greater plaintain. Gaelic and Irish: cuach Phadraig, Patrick’s bowl or cup—in some places cruach Phadraig, Patrick’s heap or hill. Welsh : Zydain y ford, spread on the way. Manx: duillag ny cabbag Pharic, Patrick’s docken leaf.

P. lanceolata—Rib-wort. Gaelic and Irish: s/an Zus, the heal- ing plant. “Le meilbheig, le nedinean ’s le slan-Zus.””—MACLEOD.

With poppy, daisy, and 77b-wort. Lus an t-slanuchaidh (lus, a wort, a plant-herb, chiefly used for plant; it signifies also power, force, efficacy; sdénuchaidh, a pay- ticipial noun from s/an ; Latin, sanus), the herb of the healing, or healing power; a famous healing plant in olden times. Manx: s/aan lus. Deideag. Irish: deideog (ag and dg, young, diminutive terminations; de/d, literally dewd or deid, a tooth), applied to the row of teeth, and also to the nipple (Gaelic: diddi; English : ##¢y), because like a tooth, hence to a plaything,—play, gewgaw, bo-peep, a common word with nurses,

‘*B’ iad sid an geiltre glé ghrinn,

Cinn déideagan measg febir,” etc.—MACDONALD.

Scenes of startling beauty, Plaintain-heads among the grass, etc.

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Armstrong translates it “gewgaws” amongst the grass; but the editor of ‘‘Sar-obair nam Bard Gaelach ”—see his vocabulary— gives déideagan, rib-grass, which renders the line intelligible. Bodaith dhubha, the black men; /us nan saighdearan, the soldiers’ weed,—children’s names in Perthshire and Argyllshire. This plant and the sea-variety.

P. maritima, are relished by cattle, especially sheep, hence the Welsh name: Bar can y ddafad, the sheep’s favorite morsel ; also, Sampier y ddafad, the sheep’s samphire, names applied to the sea- plaintain. The Manx name for the Buckshorn plaintain is Bo/lan Vreeshey, Bridget’s wort (Bollan and dossan, wort). ‘Mie son lhiettal guin” (good for staunching wounds).

PaRONYCHIACEA.

Herniaria glabra—Rupture-wort; burst-wort. Gaelic and Irish: lus an t-sicnich (Mackenzie), from sic, the inner skin that is next the viscera in animals. ‘Bhvist an t-sic,” the inner skin broke. “Mam-sic,” rupture, hernia. Not growing naturally in Scotland, but was formerly cultivated by herbalists as a cure for hernia. Mam, round hill, a breast. Latin: amma, hence an ulcerous swelling. A lotion made from this plant was a cure for such complaints as well as for hernia.

CHENOPODIACE&.

Amaranthus caudatus -—— Love-lies-bleeding. Gaelic: dus a’ ghraidh, the love plant. Gradh, love.

Spinacia oleracea — Spinage. Gaelic: dloinigean géraidh. Bionag, fat (Welsh: d/oneg; Irish: blanag); garadh, a garden. Slap-chal (Macalpin); s/ap, to flap: ca/, cabbage. Welsh: y vigawglys

Beta maritima—Beet, mangold-wurzel. Gaelic: detis, biotas. Trish: dia¢as. Welsh: deatws (evidently on account of its feeding or life-giving qualities). Greek: Bios. Latin: vita, life, food ; and the Gaelic: dzadh, feed, nourish, fatten. Cornish: doer.

Sueda maritima—Sea-side goose grass. \ Gaelic and Irish:

Salicornia herbacea—Glass-wort. pratseach na mara, the sea pot-herb. Name applied to both plants. For pradseach, see Crambe maritima.

Atriplex hastata and patula—Common orache. Gaelic and

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Irish: praiseach mhin, Min, meal, ground fine, small. The plant is covered with fine mealy powder. Still used by poor people as a pot-herb. Ceathramha-luain-griollog (O'Reilly), loin- quarters, sallad. Ceathramadh caorach (Bourke), sheep’s quarters. The name gviol/og is applied also to the samphire. Manx: col/ mea, fat or luxurious cole or cabbage (Cregeen).

A. portulacoides — Purslane-like orache. Gaelic and Irish: purpaidh, purple. A name also given to the poppy. Name given on account of the purple appearance of the plant, it being streaked with red in the autumn.

A. littoralis—Marsh orache. LZivelehog (Threl). The Irish Gaelic name seems to suggest its habitat. £7ve, our azr, on, and Zeog, a marsh. Welsh: ZLlygwyn Arfor, the sea-side orache. Some of the plants of this order are used as pot-herbs ; the roots of others form valuable articles of food, as beet and mangold wurzel—plants now famous as a new source of sugar instead of the sugar cane.

Chenopodium vulvaria (or olidum)—Stinking goosefoot. Irish: elefieog. El or ela, a swan; and /# or fleadh, a feast. It was said to be the favourite food of swans. Scotch: o/our (Latin: olor, a swan).

C. album—White goosefoot. Gaelic and Irish: pratseach fhiadhain, wild pot-herb. The people of the Western Highlands, and poor people in Ireland, still eat it as greens. Praiseach ghilas, green pot-herb, a name given to the fig-leaved goosefoot (ficifolium). Teanga mhin or mhin, the mealy or smooth tongue. Ca/ Lath- ghias, the grey kale, in Argyllshire.

C. murale—Wall goosefoot. The wall kale. Praiseach was also applied to cabbages. Latin: érassica, a cabbage. This par- ticular “‘goosefoot” is found on walls and waste places near houses —rare in Ireland, and doubtful in the Highlands. Irish: Praiseach na balla.

C. Bonus-Henricus—Good King Henry, wild spinage, English Mercury. Gaelic and Irish: pratseach brathair, the friar’s pot- herb. (#rdthair means brother, also friar—/rere). Its leaves are still used as spinage or spznach, in defect of better. Manx: g/assaz.

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LAURACEA,

Laurus. Dr. Siegfried compares Zaurus with daurus oak. As tingua from dingua, dacrima from dacrima.

L. nobilis—The laurel, the bay-tree (which must not be con- founded with our common garden laurel, Prunus lauro-cerasus and FP. lusitanicus). Gaelic and Irish: dabhras. Crann laoibh- veil, the tree possessing richness of foliage. With its leaves, poets and victorious generals were decorated. The symbol of triumph and victory. It became also the symbol of massacre and slaughter, hence another Gaelic name, casgair, to slaughter, to hit right and left. Ur waine, the green bay-tree.

“* Agus e ’ga sgaoileadh féin a mach mar ar chraoibh uaine.”

And spreading himself like a green bay-tree.—PSALM xxxvii., 35. The wr chraoibh uaine is supposed by Royle to be the rose-bay (Nerium oleander), it being very common, and conspicuous by its rosy flowers, near the streams—the true laurel being very scarce in Palestine. ‘Ur, bay or palm tree, from the Sanskrit, urh, to grow up. Palm Sunday is styled ‘Domhnach an tir, the Lord’s day of the palm.”—Bourke.

Daphne laureola—Spurge laurel. Buaidh chraobh, na Labhras (Logan), the tree of victory, or laurel tree.

Badge of Clan Maclaren. (Alac Labhruinn).

L. cinnamomum—Cinnamon. Gaelic and Irish: cazneal.

*?S e’s millse na ’n caineal.”-—BEINN-DORAIN. It is sweeter than cinmamon.

Canal (Welsh: cane?).

‘*Rinn mi mo leabadh cubhraidh le mirr, aloe, agus canal,”—PROVERBS vii., 17.

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. From the Hebrew: ginnamon. Greek: kivdpwpov, Ainamomon. Besides the true cinnamon plant, there is another species known under the name of cassza.

*¢Malairt ann ad mhargaidhean, bha iarunn, casza agus calamus.”—EzEKIEL Xxvii., 19.

There were exchanged in the fairs iron, cass¢a and calamus.

POLYGONACE.

Polygonum (from voAvs, many, and yovv, knee, many knees or joints). Gaelic: /usan glitineach, kneed or jointed plants.

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Polygonum bistorta — Bistort, snakeweed. Gaelic and Irish: bilur (O'Reilly). Seems to mean the same as dzolair, a water- cress, The young shoots were formerly eaten. Welsh: yséaw’r netdy, adder’s plant. Manx: Bossan ardnieu, snakeweed.

P. amphibium — Amphibious persicaria. Gaelic and Irish: gluineach an uisge, the water-kneed plant. It is often floating in water. Gliineach dhearg, the red-kneed plant. Its spikes of flowers are rose-coloured and handsome. Armstrong gives this name to P. convolvulus, which is evidently wrong.

P. aviculare—Knot-grass. Gaelic and Irish: gilineach bheag (O’Reilly), the small-jointed plant. There is another plant of this family very common on the hills and greedily eaten by cattle, much jointed, and with little red bulbs on the stem (P. viviparum). Altanach occurs as the name of “a mountain or moss grass.” (This is not a grass, yet ‘‘grass” is sometimes applied to plants that are not grass, z.e.—knot grass, grass of Parnassus, etc.) The probabilities are strongly in favour of this being the plant so named. A/fanach, the jointed one (a/¢, a joint).

P. convolvulus—Climbing persicaria; black bindweed; climbing buckwheat. Gaelic and Irish: giiineach dhubh, the dark-jointed plant.

P. persicaria— The spotted persicaria. Gaelic and Irish: gltineach mhor, the large-jointed plant. Am boinne-fola (Fer- gusson), the blood spot. Lws chrann-ceusaidh (Maclellan), herb of the tree (of) crucifixion. The legend being that this plant grew at the foot of the Cross, and drops of blood fell on the leaves, and so they are to this day spotted.

P. hydropiper — Water - pepper. Gaelic: dus an fhogair (Mackenzie), the plant that drives, expels, or banishes. It had the reputation of driving away pain, flies, etc. “If a good handful of the hot biting arssmart be put under the horse’s saddle, it will make him travel the better though he were half-tired before.”— CULPEPPER. Gliineach teth, the hot-kneed plant. Manw: g/oon- agh, the kneed or jointed one.

Rumex obtusifolius

» crispus | Doct Gaelic and Irish: copag— » conglomeratus copagach, copach, bossy. Welsh: copa, tuft, a top. Manx: capag. Roots used for making black dye.

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R. sanguineus — Bloody-veined dock. Gaelic: a’ chopagach dhearg, the red dock. The stem and veins of leaves are blood- red. Welsh: Zafolen gich (coch, red). Manx: capag jiarg, red -dock.

R. alpinus — Monk’s rhubarb. Gaelic: dus na purgaid, the purgative weed. A naturalised plant. The roots were formerly used medicinally, and the leaves as a pot-herb. Welsh: avianallys. ‘The same name is given for rue.

R acetosa—Common sorrel. Gaelic: sam, sorrel. Irish: samhadh bo, cow-sorrel (for samhsee Oxalis). Puinneag(Macdonald). Irish : puineoga. Name given possibly for its efficacy in healing sores and bruises (a pugilist, puznneanach). Sealbhag, not from sealbh, possession, more likely from searbh, sour, bitter, from its acid taste.

“ Do shealbhag ghlan 's do luachair A borcadh suas ma d’ choir.” MACDONALD.

Thy pure sorreZ and thy rushes

Springing up beside thee. Sealgag (Irish: sealgan), are other forms of the same name. Copag shraide, the roadside or lane dock. Sod (Shaw), the herb sorrel. Manx: shughlagh.

R. acetosella—Sheep’s sorrel. Gaelic and Irish: rvanaidh, the reddish-coloured. It is often bright red in autumn. Pidirin seangan (O'Reilly), the small-flowered plant (p/uran, a small flower; seangan, slender). Samhadh caora (O'Reilly), sheep’s sorrel. Sams, that part of the plant which bears seed.

Oxyria reniformis— Mountain sorrel. Gaelic and Irish: sealbh- ag nam fiadh, the deer’s sorrel.

ARISTOLOCHIACEA, Aristolochia clematitis—Birth-wort. Cwlurin (see Cyclamen.) Asarum europe2um—Commonasarum. Gaelic: asaiy (Macdon- ald), from the generic name, “asara bacca.” The leaves are emetic, cathartic, and diuretic. The plant was formerly employed to correct the effects of excessive drinking, hence the French, cabaret.

EMPETRACES.

Empetrum nigrum—Crow-berry. Gaelic and Irish: /us na fionnaig (fionnag, a crow). Sometimes written /feannag, (dearc

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Shithich, raven’s berry ; caor fonnazg, crow-berry), the berries which the Highland children are very fond of eating, though rather bitter, Taken in large quantities, they cause headache. Grouse are fond of them. Boiled with alum they are used to produce a dark-purple dye. us na stalog (O'Reilly), the starling’s plant. Brallan du. Threlkeld probably means dveal/an dubh, the black knobby plant, on account of its black berries.

Badge of the Macleans; by some authorities, also of the Camerons.

EUPHORBIACEA. Euphorbia exigua i helioscopia =spurge. Foinne-lus, wart-wort. Manx: /us-ny-fahnnashyn, same meaning.

E. Hiberna—Meacan buidhe an t-sltibhe. Meaning—the yellow plant of the hill. The Journal of Botany, 1873, gives the name as “‘Makkin bweé.” ‘A name of some interest as being one of the few Gaelic names that has found its way (spelt as ‘Makinboy’) into English books.” Our common plants are distinguished by the milky juice they exude when bruised, growing frequently on cultivated fields. The peasantry of Kerry use this plant for stupefying fish. So powerful are its qualities that a small basket, filled with the bruised plant, suffices to poison the fish for several miles down a river.

E. peplus— Petty spurge. Gaelic and Irish: /us J/eighets, healing plant. The plants of this genus possess powerful cathartic and emetic properties. £. helioscopia has a particularly acrid juice, which is often applied for destroying warts, hence it is called foinne-lus. Irish: gear neimh (gear or geur, severe, and neimh, poison, the milky juice being poisonous).

E. paralias—Sea-spurge. Irish: duidhe na ningean, (O'Reilly), the yellow plant of the waves (zzz, a wave), its habitat being maritime sands, Not found in Scotland, but in Ireland, on the coast as far north as Dublin.

Buxus sempervirens—Box. Gaelic and Irish: docsa, an altera- tion of wi€os, the Greek name. Latin: ducus.

\ spurge. Gaelic and Irish: spuirse

“‘Suidhichidh mi anns an fhasach an giuthas, an gall ghiuthas, agus am bocsa le cheile.”—ISAlauH.

I will set in the desert the fir-tree and the pine and the dox together.

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Aighban, Jt was considered in olden times an emblem of glad- ness, just as Craodh-bhroin Cypress was of sadness. The leaves of the red whortleberry are very like the leaves of the box, and the former was the Swazcheantas of many of the branches of Clan Chattan. To avoid trouble, box was frequently substituted. The name is probably from aighear—merry, airy, light-hearted. So the Latin name, Sempervirens—as Horace uses the term—lively always green, active, etc.

The badge of Clan Macpherson, Clan Mackintosh, and others.

Mercurialis perennis—Wood mercury. Gaelic: dus ghlinne- bhracadail. Lus ghlinne, the cleansing wort; dracadh, suppuration, corruption, etc. It was formerly much used for the cure of wounds. Manx: creayn voddee (creayn, ague ; and voddee, dogs).

CUCURBITACEA.

Cucumis sativus —Cucumber. Gaelic and Irish: cudaran, perhaps from cudear, a bag. Latin: cudus, the skin.

“Ts cuimhne leinne an t-iasg a dh’ith sinn san Ephit gu saor ; na cularain agus na mealbhucain.”-—-NUMBERS xi. 5.

We remember the fish that we did eat in Egypt freely, and the cucumber and the melons.

‘Sa thore nimhe ri sgath a chularain.””—MACDONALD. His wild boar destroying his cucumbers.

Trish : cucumhar (O'Reilly), cucumber, said to be derived from the Celtic word cue (Gaelic: cuach), a hollow thing. In some species the rind becomes hard when dried, and is used as a cup Latin: cucumts, a derivative from the Celtic. (See Loudon, and Chamber’s Latin Dictionary.) Welsh: chwerw ddwfr, water-sour.

C. melo—Melon. Gaelic and Irish: meaZdhuc, from mel or mal (Greek, pov, an apple), and 4wc, size, bulk. According to Brockie, “mealbhucain (plural), round fruit covered with warts or pimples.” AZz/eog, a small melon.

URTICACEA, Urtica—A word formed from Latin: wo, to burn. U. urens . aa \ — Nettle (Anglo-Saxon, ed/, a needle). Gaelic », dioica and Irish: feanntag, neantig,| deanntag, tontag, tuntag, by popular + “ Neantdg, the common name for it in Ireland. In feminine nouns, the first consonant (letter) after the article az (the) is softened in sound. ‘An

feanntag’—‘f’ when affected loses its sound, and ‘N’ is sounded instead : ‘N (f)eantdg.?”—CANON BOURKE.

go

etymology from feannta, flayed, pierced, pinched—/eanm, to flay, on account of its blistering effects on the skin; amg, a sting ; Zongna, nails). Latin: uagues. ‘Original sense—‘scratcher’ or ‘stinger.’ ”— (Skeat.) ‘* Sealbhaichidh an zonntagach iad.” —HosEA ix. 6. The nettles shall possess them. “Cinnidh feanntag’s a’ gharadh °N uair thig faillinn’san ros.” Dr, MACLACHLAN, Rahoy. Nettles grow in the garden While the roses decay.

To this day it is boiled in the Highiands and in Ireland by the country people in the spring-time. ‘Till tea became the fashion, nettles were boiled in meal, and made capital food. Caol-fati— caol, slender ; fa/, spite, malice. In the Hebridies often called svadag (a spark), from the sensation (like that from a fiery spark) consequent upon touching (Stuart). Zo¢feag, from /d¢, a wound ; loisneach, from Joscadh, burning. Manx: undaagach. Welsh: danadlen. “The nettle was employed in the Isle of Man for restoring circulation by heating the skin.”—(Moore.) Camden says “that the Romans cultivated nettles, when in Britain, in order to rub their benumbed limbs with them, on account of the intense cold they suffered when in Britain.”

Cannabis sativa—Hemp. Gaelic and Irish: catnead, the same as cannabis, and said to be originally derived from Celtic, can, white: but the plant has been known to the Arabs from time immemorial under the name of guaneb. Corcach, hemp.

“« Buill de’ n chaol chorcaidh.”*-—MacDONALbD, Tackling of hempen ropes.

Welsh : cynarch.

Parietaria officinalis—Wall pellitory. Gaelic and Irish: /us a’ bhallaidh, from balladh (Latin: valium; Irish: balla), a wall. A weed which is frequently found on or beside old walls or rubbish heaps, hence the generic name “parietaria,” from favzes, a wall. Irish: mtonntas chaisil (caistol, any stone building), the wall-mint. For mtonntas, see Mentha. Manx: yn ouw creggach, the rocky weed. Used as a cure for heart disease.

Humulus lupulus—Hop. Gaelic and Irish: dus an /eanna— “ionn-luibh, the ale or beer plant. Lionn, leann (Welsh: /hyn). Manx: Zus y onney (the same meaning).

gi

Ulmus— Elm. Celtic: azn. The same in Anglo-Saxon, Teutonic, Gothic, and nearly all the Celtic dialects. Hebrew: elah ; translated oak, terebinth, and elm.

U. campestris—Gaelic and Irish: Zamhan, slamhan (Shaw), liobhan. Manx: lhionon. Welsh: U/wyfen. According to Pictet, in his work, “Les Origines Indo-Europeennes ou les Aryas Primitifs,” p. 221, “To the Latin: ‘Ulmus’ the following bear an affinity (respond)—Sax.: ed/m,; Scand.: almr; Old German: edm,; Rus.: tlemu; Polish: z/ma,; Irish: ailm, udm, and by inver- sion, ‘/eamh,’ or ‘leamhan.” He says the root is #/, meaning to burn. The tree is called from the finality of it, ‘to be burned.” The common idea of feamhan is that it is from /amh, taste- less, insipid, from the taste of its inner bark; and “od means ‘smooth, slippery. And the tree in Gaelic poetry is associated with, ‘or symbolic of, slipperiness of character, indecision. Cicely Macdonald, who lived in the reign of Charles II., describing her chief, wrote as follows :—

*« Bu tu ’n t-iubhar as a’ choille, Bu tu ’n darach daingean, laidir, Bu tu ’n cuilionn, bu tu ’n droighionn, Bu tu ’n t-abhall molach, blath-mhor, Cha robh meur annad de ’n chritheann, Cha robh do dhlighe ri fearna,

Cha robh do chairdeas ri leamhan, Bu tu leannan nam ban aluinn.” Thou wast the yew from the wood, Thou wast the firm strong oak, Thou wast the holly and the thorn, Thou wast the rough, pleasant apple, Thou had’st not a twig of the aspen, Under no obligation to the alder, And had’st no friendship with the elm, Thou wast the beloved of the fair. Ficus—-Nearly the same in most of the European languages. Greek: ovyy. Latin: ficus. Celtic: jige. F. carica—Common fig-tree. Gaelic and Irish: crann fige or Sighis. “Ach foghlumaibh cosamhlach o’n chrann fhige.”—MArT: xxiv, 32. Learn a parable from the fig-tree.

Inde-Indeach (O'Reilly). Not the common fig-tree, but the /ndian fig is Ficus Indica. But another plant was known by the old

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herbalists as “Ficus Jndicus,” the “‘fig of India,” evidently one of the spurge family, and was much used in Western Europe. It is to this plant the name applies. ‘A plaister made of it with oil and wax is singular good against all aches and pains of the joints, . . « scabbs of the head, baldness, and it will cause the beard to grow, if the chin be anointed therewith.”—(Joseph Blagrave, student in Physic and Astrology, 1674.)

Morus—Greek: pépos, moros. Latin: morus, a mulberry. Loudon, in his “ Encyclopzedia of Plants,” says it is from the Celtic mor, dark-coloured, the fruit being of a darkish red colour. Old Ger. and Danish: mur-ber. Modr-beam.

M. nigra—Common mulberry. Gaelic and Irish: crann-maol- dhearc, tree of the mild aspect ; or, if dearc here be a berry, the mild-berry tree. A/ao/ (Latin: mod/is) has many significations. Bald, applied to monks without hair, as AZao/ Cholum, St. Columba; Maol losa, Maol Brighid, St. Bridget, etc. A promontory, cape, or knoll, as AZaol Chinntire, Mull of Cantyre. Malvern, aod, and dearna, a gap. To soften, by making it less bitter, as “dean maol é,” make it mild. Hence mulberry, mild-berry (Canon Bourke). That is right as far as ‘“‘mao/” is concerned, yet it seems only an adaptation of “za/,” the prefix. In the Bible, this tree is also called the sycamine tree, from the Greek: sycaminos (Luke xvii. 6). Gaelic: stcamin.

AMENTIFERZ AND CUPULIFERA,

Catkin-bearers—Gaelic: caztean, the blossom of ossiers. ‘Nis treigidh coileach a ghucag °S cattean brucach nan craobh.”—MACDONALD. Now the cock will forsake the buds And the spotted catkins of the trees. Quercus—Akin to xepxadéos, hard, rough; and xdpxapos, oak, .or anything made of it.

Q. robur—The oak. Gaelic and Irish: daiv, genitive darach, sometimes written darag, dur, drit. Sanskrit: daru. Greek: Sdpv, Spts, an oak. Manx: darragh. Welsh: derwen.

“ Samhach’ is mor a bha ’n triath, Mar dharaig’s i liath air Lubar, A chaill a dlu-dheug o shean Le dealan glan nan spéur, Tha *h-aomadh thar srith o shliabh, A coinneach mar chiabh a fuaim.”—OssIAn.

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Silent and great was the prince Like an oak-tree hoary on Lubar,

Stripped of its thick and aged boughs By the keen lightning of the sky,

It bends across the stream from the hill, Its moss sounds in the wind like hair.

Om, omna, the oak (O’Reilly). ‘Cormac, King of Cashel, Ire- land, A.D 903, says of omna that it equals /vamna, sounds, or noises, because the winds resound when the branches of the oak resist its passage. According to Varro, it is from os, mouth, and men, mind, thinking—that is, telling out what one thinks is likely to come. Cicero agrees with this, ‘Osmen voces hominum.’”— Canon Bourke. Compare Latin: omen, a sign, a prognostica- tion,—it being much used in the ceremonies of the Druids. Omna, a lance, or a spear, these implements being made from the wood of the oak. Greek: ddpv, a spear, because made of wood or oak. £itheach, oak, from eithim, to eat, an old form of ith, Latin: ed-ere, as “oak” is derived from ak (Old German) to eat (the acorn). The “oak” was called Quercus esculus by the Latins. atl, ratilaidh, oak. ** Ni bhiodh achd, aon dhearc ar an valaidh.” What they had, one acorn on the oak. Canon Bourke thinks it is derived from vo, exceeding, and azi, growth ; or 72, a king, and a/ or az/—that is, king of the growing plants. It was under an oak that St. Bridget established her retreat for holy women. ‘The place was therefore called Kildara, or Cell of the Oak. “©The Oak of St. Bride, which demon nor Dane, Nor Saxon nor Dutchman could rend from her fane.”

The Highlanders still call it Aigh na corte, king of the wood. The Spanish name vod/e seems to be cognate with robur. Furran, oak (O'Reilly).

The oak—the badge of the Cameron men,

Q. ilex—Holm-tree. Gaelic and Irish: craodh thuilm, genitive of ¢olm, a knoll, may here be only an alteration of “holm.” Darach stor-uaine, ever-green oak.

Q. suber— The cork-tree. Gaelic: cvann arcan. Irish: crann dirc. Arc, a cork.

Fagus sylvatica—Beech. Gaelic and Irish: craobh fhaidbhile,

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Welsh: fawydd. Fat, faidh, from dy, to eat. dnyos, the beech-tree. This name was first applied to the oak, and as we have no Quercus esculus, the name Fagus is applied to the beech and not to the oak. Ovuin (O'Reilly) (see Zhuja articulata). Beith na measa, the fruiting birch. dZeas, a fruit, as of oak or beech—like “mess,” “munch.” French: manger, to eat.

F. sylvatica var. atrorubens—Black beech. Gaelic: faidhbhile dubh (Fergusson), black beech, from the sombre appearance of its branches. The “mast” of the beech was used as food, and was called dachar, from Latin: bacchar; Greek: Béxxapis, a plant having a fragrant root. A name also given to Valeriana celtica (Sprengel), Celtic nard.

Carpinus—The Latin name.

©. betulus—Hornbeam. Gaelic: eamhan bog (O’Reilly), the soft elm. (See U/mus campestris).

Corylus avellana—Hazel. Gaelic and Irish: calltuinn, call- dainn, callduinn, cailtin, colluinn. Welsh: callen. Cornish: coé. widen. Manx: col, Gaelic: cot//. Irish: coz//, a wood, a grove. New Year’s time is called in Gaelic, cot; “otdhche coille,” the first night of January, then the hazel is in bloom. The first night in the new year when the wind blows from the west, they call dazr na coille, the night of the fecundation of trees (‘Statistics,” par. Kirkmichael). In Celtic superstition the hazel was considered unlucky, and associated with loss or damage The words ca/, coll, collen, have also this signification ; but if two nuts were found together (cnd chdmhlaich), good luck was certain. The Bards, however, did not coincide with these ideas. By it they were inspired with poetic fancies. ‘‘They believed that there were fountains in which the principal rivers had their sources; over each fountain grew nine hazel trees, caill crinmon (crina, wise), which produced beautiful red nuts, which fell into the fountain, and floated on its surface, that the salmon of the river came up and swallowed the nuts. It was believed that the eating of the nuts caused the red spots on the salmon’s belly, and whoever took and ate one of these salmon was inspired with the sublimest poetical ideas. Hence the expressions, ‘the nuts of science,’ ‘the salmon of knowledge.’”—O’Curry’s “ Manners and Customs of the Ancient Irish.”

The badge of Clan Colquhoun.

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Alnus—/ (Sanskrit), to burn. According to Pictet, it is from alka, Sanskrit for a free.

A. glutinosa— Common alder. Gaelic and Irish: /earna— JSearna, French: verne. Welsh: gwernen (gwern, a swamp). It grows best in swampy places, and beside streams and rivers. Many places have derived their names from this tree, Gleann Fearnaite. Fearnan, near Loch Tay; earn, Ross-shire, etc. Ruaim (O'Reilly) (xuadh, red), it dyes red. When peeled it is white, but it turns red in a short time. The bark boiled with ‘copperas makes a beautiful black colour. The wood has the peculiarity of splitting best from the root, hence the saying :—

“*Gach fiodh o’n bharr, ’s am fearna o'n bhun.” Every wood splits best from the top, but the alder from the root. A singular custom prevailed at funerals. ‘There were rods or small branches of fearn stuck round the graves of the unmarried, and of the married who had no issue; with the distinction that the bark was taken off for the unmarried.”

Betula alba—Birch. Gaelic and Irish: detth. Welsh: bedw, seemingly from Latin Betuda. Also the name of the letter B in Celtic languages, corresponding to Hebrew Seth (meaning a house). Greek: Beta. Generally written dezzh.

6S a’ bheith chibhraidh.”’—OssIan. In the fragrant dirch. The Highlanders and Irish formerly made many economical uses. of this tree, Its bark (méz/eag or dé/eag), they burned for light, smooth inner bark was used, before the invention of paper, for writing upon, and the wood for various purposes.

The badge of the Clan Buchanan.

R. verrucosa—Knotty birch. Gaelic: decth carraigeach, the rugged birch; deith dubh-chasach, the dark-stemmed birch.

B. pendula—Gaelic: decth dubhach, the sorrowful birch (dudhach, dark, gloomy, sorrowful, mourning, frowning), In Rannoch and Breadalbane: Beith cluasach, the many (drooping) ear birch. (Stuart).

B. nana—Dwarf birch. Gaelic: deith deag (Fergusson), the small birch. :

Castanea vesca—Common chestnut. Gaelic and Irish: chraobh geanm-chno.

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‘No na craobha geanm-chnd cosmhuil r' a gheugaibh.”—EzeKIEL xxxi. 8. Nor the chestnut-tree like his branches.

Geanm or gean, natural love, pure love, such as exists between relatives—the tree of chaste love, and cd, a nut. The Celts evidently credited this tree with the same virtues as the chaste tree, Vitex agnus castus (Greek, dyvos: and Latin, castus, chaste). Hence the Athenian matrons, in the sacred rites of Ceres, used to strew their couches with its leaves. Castanea is said to be derived from Castana, a town in Pontus, and that the tree is so called because of its abundance there. But the town Castana (Greek, Kdoravov), was probably so called on account of the virtues of its female population. If so, the English name chest- nut would mean chaste-nut, as it is in the Gaelic. Welsh: castan (from Latin, casée), chastely, modestly. The chestnut tree of Scripture is now supposed to be Platanus orientalis, the Chenar plane-tree.

[Zsculus hippocastanum—The horse-chestnut. Gaelic: geanm chnd fhiadhaich (Fergusson). Belongs to the order Aceracee. Was introduced to Scotland in 1709.]

Populus alba—Poplar. Gaelic: craobh phobuill. Irish: poibleag. German: pappel, Welsh and Armoric: podl. Latin: populus. This name has an Asiatic origin, and became a common name to all Europe through the Aryan race from the East.+ Pictet explains it thus—“Ce nom est sans doute une reduplication de la racine Sanscrit pw/, magnum, altum.” Pu/ pul, great, great, or big, big, as in the Hebrew construction, very big. We still say in Gaelic mor, mor, big, big, for very big. Pu2 pul is the Persian for popular, and puélah for salix. This tree is quite common in Persia and Asia Minor, hence it was as well known there as in Europe. The name has become associated with sopulus, the people, by the fact that the streets of ancient Rome were deco- rated with rows of this tree, whence the name Arbor populi. Again, it is asserted that the name is derived from the constant movement of the leaves, which are in perpetual motion, like the populace— fickle, like the multitude, that are accursed.” Populus —palpulus, from palpitare, to tremble (Skeat).

1 See Canon Bourke’s work on “The Aryan Origin of the Gaelic Race and Language.” London: Longman.

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P. tremula—aAspen. Gaelic and Irish: critheann, from crith, tremble. Manx: cron craaee, trembling tree.

“« Mar chritheach ’san t-sine.”— ULL. Like an asfen in the blast.

With the slightest breeze the leaves tremble, the poetic belief being that the wood of the Cross was made from this tree, and that ever since the leaves cannot cease from trembling. abhadh. Welsh: aethnen (aethiad, smarting). Manx: chengey ny mraane, wives’ tongues (never still!) The mulberry tree of Scripture is ‘supposed to be the aspen (Balfour), and in Gaelic is rendered craobh nan smeur. (See Morus and Rubus fruticosus.)

“Agus an uair a chluinneas tu fuaim siubhail ann am mullach chraobh nan sméur, an sin gluaisidh tu thu féin.”—2 SAMUEL v. 24.

And when thou hearest a sound of marching on the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself.

The badge of Clan Ferguson, according to some authorities.

Salix—According to Pictet, from Sanskrit, sda, a tree.

«Tl a passe au sawde dans plusieurs langues Ces noms derivent de sala.” ‘Gaelic and Irish: sez/each, saileog, sal, suil. Cognate with Latin: salix. Manx: shellagh. Fin.: salawa. Anglo-Saxon: salg, salh, from which sad/ow (white willow) is derived. Welsh: heZyg, willow. (See S. viminalis.)

8. viminalis—Osier willow; cooper’s willow. Gaelic and Irish: fineamhain, a long twig—a name also applied to the vine.! Vimen in Latin means also a pliant twig, a switch osier. One of the seven hills of Rome (Viminalis Collis) was so named from a willow copse that stood there; and Jupiter, who was worshipped among these willows, was called “ Viminius;” and his priests, and those of Mars, were called Safi for the same reason. The wor- ship was frequently of a sensual character, and thus the willow has become associated with lust, filthiness. Priapus was sarcastically called ‘“‘Salacissimus Jupiter,” hence sa/ax, lustful, salacious: and in Gaelic, sadach (from saZ); German, sad, polluted, defiled. The osier is also called dunnsag, buinneag, a twig, a stock. <Maothan, from maoth, smooth, tender. Gall sheileach, the foreign willow.

S. caprea, and 8. aquatica—Common sallow. Gaelic and

1«* Finemhain fa m’ chomhair” (in Genesis)—a vine opposite to me. G

~

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Irish: sézleag, probably the same as Irish, saz/eog (Anglo-Saxon, salig, sallow). Sié?—the old Irish name—(in Turkish sz means water), in Irish and Gaelic, the eye, look, aspect, and sometimes tackle (Armstrong). The various species of willow were exten- sively used for tackle of every sort. Ropes, bridles, &c., were made from twisted willows. ‘In the Hebrides, where there is so great a scarcity of the tree kind, there is not a twig, even of the meanest willow, but what is turned by the inhabitants to- some useful purpose.”-—WaLKER’s “ Hebrides.” And in Ireland to this day “gads,” or willow ropes, are made. Geal-sheileach (Armstrong), the white willow or sallow tree. Irish: crann satligh Fhrancaigh, the French willow. Dye of flesh colour from the bark.

5. babylonica—The Babylonian willow. Gaelic: sedleach an t-srutha (sruth, a brook, stream, or rivulet), the willow of the brook.

‘* Agus gabhaidh sibh dhuibh féin air a’ cheud la meas chraobh aluinn, agus. setleach an t-srutha.” —LEV. xxiii. 40.

And take unto yourselves on the first day fruit of lovely trees, and w7l/ows of the brook.

MyRICACE&.

Myrica gale—Bog myrtle, sweet myrtle, sweet gale. Gaelic: rideag. Irish: rideog, rileog (changing sound of @ to / being easier. oid is the common name in the Highlands, perhaps from the Hebrew vothem, a fragrant shrub. Kelly (in his Manx Dictionary) speaks of a plant ‘‘/ws roddagagh,” which, he says, “was used for dyeing and for destroying fleas.” It was used for making a yellow dye. It is doubtless this plant. It is used for numerous purposes by the Highlanders, e.g., as a substitute for hops ; for tanning ; and from its supposed efficacy in destroying insects, beds were strewed with it, and even made of the twigs of gale. And to this day it is employed by the Irish for the same purpose by those who know its efficacy. The rideog is boiled, and the tea or juice drank by children to kill ‘the worms.’ Raideog in Donegal (O’Donovan). Samename. ‘The hills in Raasay abound with the sweet-smelling plant, which the Highlanders call gaud.”— Boswell’s Tour with Dr. Johnson.

Badge of the Clan Campbell.

CONIFERA, Pinus—French: / pin. German: pyn-baum, Italian: 72 pino.

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Spanish: e2 pino. Irish: pinn chrann. Gaelic: pin-chrann. Anglo-Saxon: pinu, All these forms of the same name are derived, according to Pictet, from the Sanscrit verb pia, the past participle of féfa, to be fat, juicy. From gia, comes Latin, pinus, and the Gaelic, gim. Old Gaelic: peith, put for pic-nus— L. pic, stem of pix pitch, hence pine means pitch tree (Skeat),

P. sylvestris—Scotch pine, Scots fir. Gaelic: géuthas. Irish:

giumhas, ‘* Mar giuthas.a |b an doinionn.””—OssIan.

Like a Aine bent by the storm.

Giuthas. Old Irish: géus. Manx: juys. Gaelic: giuthas, said

to be from root gis, from the abundance of pitch or resin. Coz

or cona (O'Reilly), from Greek: xwvos, onos, a cone, a pine.

Hence connadh, and Anglo Scotch: céx, fir wood, fire-wood. Badge of the Macgregors—Clan Alpin.

P. picea—Silver pine. Gaelic: giuthas geal (Fergusson), white pine. First planted at Inveraray Castle in 1682.

Abies communis—Spruce. Gaelic: géuthas Lochlatnneach, Scandinavian pine. ‘‘Nuair theirgeadh giuthas Lochlainneach.”—MacCoprum. When the spruce fir would get done. Lochlannach, from loch, lake, and /ann, a Germano-Celtic word meaning land—ze., the lake-lander, a Scandinavian. ‘“ Giuthas glan na Lochlainn, Fuaight’ le copar ruadh.” Polished iv of Scandinavia, Bound with reddish copper. P. larix—Larch. Gaelic and Irish: arag. Scotch: larick. Latin: /arix, from the Greek: Adpug, a larch, or Aapuvéds, fat, from the abundance of resin the wood contains. Welsh: darswydden.

P. strobus—/(S¢robus, a name employed by Pliny for an eastern tree used in perfumery). Weymouth pine. Gaelic: giuthas Sasunnach (Fergusson), the English pine. It is not English, however ; it is a North American tree, but was introduced from England to Dunkeld in 1725.

Cupressus—Cypress. Irish and Gaelic: cuphair, an alteration of Cyprus, where the tree is abundant.

Io0o

C. sempervirens—Common cypress. Gaelic: craobh bhroin, the tree of sorrow. ron, grief, sorrow, weeping. Craobh uaine giuthais, the green fir-tree.

“Ts cosmhuil mi ri crann uaine giuthais.”—HOSEA xiv. 8. Tam like a green fir-tree. The fir-tree of Scripture (Hebrew derosh and deroth are translated fir-trees) most commentators agree is the cypress. Badge of the Macdougalls. Thuja articulata—Thyine wood. Gaelic: frodh-thine. “Agus gach uile ghné fhiodha thine.” —REV. xviii. 12. And all kinds of ¢hyine wood. Alteration of ¢hya, from @ve, to sacrifice. Another kind of pine, Hebrew, oven (Irish and Gaelic, ord), is translated ash in Isaiah xliv. 14, and beech by O’Reilly.

Cedar—Keédpos. Cedrus Libanit, cedar of Lebanon. Gaelic

and Irish: crann seudar, cedar tree.

“Agus air uile sheudaraibh Lebanoin.”—ISAIAH ii. 13. And upon all the cedars of Lebanon. The cedar wood mentioned in Lev. xiv. 4, was probably /umiperus oxycedrus, which was a very fragrant wood, and furnished an oil that protects from decay—cedar oil, hence figuratively, “Carmina linenda cedro ”—7.e., poems worthy of immortality. “Agus fiodh sheudar, agus scarlaid, agus hisop.” And cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop.

Juniperus—From the Latin /uniperus—junior, younger, and pario, to bring forth, because it drings forth younger berries while the others are ripening. Irish: zabhar-beinne (O'Reilly), the hill yew; 2ubhar-thalaimh, the ground yew; ubhar-chraige, the rock yew; all given as names for the juniper. _/wmzperus is mentioned both by Virgil and Pliny. Welsh: merywen.

J. communis—Juniper. Gaelic and Irish: azteal, aitinn, aitiol. Aitionn, from Sanscrit ak, to pierce. Latin: acer, sharp, piercing.

“ Ach chaidh e féin astar latha do’n fhasach agus thainig e agus shuidh e fuidh chraoibh-aiteil.”—1 KINGs xix. 4.

And he went a day’s journey into the desert, and he sat under a juniper tree. The juniper of Scripture, Genzsta monosperma, was a kind of broom. Welsh; ae¢h, a point, furze. Irish: asfeann, furze, from its pointed leaves. ior /eacain (in Arran), the pointed hill-side

Io!

plant. Sfaoin (in the North Highlands), caorrunn staoim, juniper berries (staozn, a little drinking-cup).

The badge of Clans Murray, Ross, Macleod, and the Athole Highlanders,

J. sabina—Savin. Gaelic: samhan (Armstrong), alteration of “sabina,” the “sabina herba” of Pliny. Common in Southern Europe, and frequently cultivated in gardens, and used medicin- ally as a stimulant, and in ointments, lotions, &c.

Taxus—According to Benfry is derived from the Sanscrit, taksh, to spread out, to cut a figure, to fashion. Persian: ak. Greek: ré€os, an arrow. Irish and Gaelic: twagh, a bow made of the ¢axos or yew, now applied to the hatchet used in place of the old bow.

T. baccata—Common yew. Gaelic and Irish: cubhar, iughar. Greek : ids, an arrow, or anything pointed. Arrows were poisoned with its juice; hence in old Gaelic it was called zogh, a severe pain, and zoghar (Greek, «xwp, zchor), pus, matter. “Perhaps of Celtic origin” (Skeat). Welsh: yw. The yew was the wood from which ancient bows and arrows were made, and that it might be ready at hand, it was planted in every burial ground.

‘°’'N so fein, a Chuchullin, tha ’n tir, ’S caoin iuthar ’tha ’fas o’n uaigh.”’—OssIANn.

In this same spot Chuchullin, is their dust, And fresh the yew tree grows upon their grave.

Another form of the name, eo, a grave. Sinsior, sinnsior (O'Reilly), long standing, antiquity, ancestry. The yew is remarkable for its long life. The famous yew of Fortingall in Perthshire, which once had a circumference of 5634 feet, is supposed to be 3500 years old. Sineadhfeadha (O’Reilly), protracting, extending wood. Laing is not correct when, in attacking the genuineness of the poems of Ossian, he asserts that the yew, so often mentioned in these poems, is not indigenous. There are various places, such as Gleniur, Duniur, &c., that have been so named from time immemorial, which proves that the yew was abundant in these places many centuries ago.

The badge of Clan Fraser.

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ENDOGENS.! PALM, Phoenix dactylifera—The date palm. Gaelic and Irish: crann palm. Daittog (O'Reilly). “Mar chrann-pailme, thig am firean fo bhlath.”—Ps. xcii. 12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm ¢ree.

The tree is so named from its flat spreading leaves like the palm of the hand. Greek: waAdpy, the palm of the hand.

ORCHIDACE#.

Orchis—Greek: épxis, a plant with roots in the shape of testicles. ‘“ Mirabilis est ovchs herba, sive serapias, gemina radice testiculis simili.”—PLiny.

O maculata—The spotted orchis. Gaelic and Irish: zrach bhallach ; trach, likely an alteration of orchis, and dadlach, spotted.

0. masculata—Early orchis. Gaelic: moth urach, from moth, the male of any animal. Irish: magairlin meireach (magairle, the testicles); medreach (Greek, metro), joyful, glad. Clachan gadhair (gadhar, a hound, clach, a stone. Manx: dbwoid Saggart (penis Sacerdotis). The name, cuigeal nan losgunn, the frogs’ distaff, is applied to many of the orchis; and frequently the various names are given to both maculata and mascula.

0. conopsea—Fragrant orchis. Gaelic: Zs taghta, the chosen or select weed.

Ophrys—Greek : ofpis (Gaelic, abhra), the eyelash, to which the delicate fringe of the inner sepals may be well compared. “A plant with two leaves.” -FREUND.

0. or Listera ovata—Tway blade. Gaelic: da-dhuilleach, two- leaved ; da-bhileach, same meaning.

1De Candolle divides plants into three classes—Exogens, Endogens, and Cryptogamic plants or Acrogens. EEXOGENS have the veins of the leaves like net work, and the growth gradually increases by the thickness of the stem, by forming new wood over the old, beneath the bark. EENDOGENs have the veins of the leaves parallel, as in grasses, palms, &c. The stem grows little in thickness, and by forming new woody bundles in its interior. CRYPTOGAMIC plants, or ACROGENS, have no flowers. The leaves are fork veined, and some- times none. Ferns, lickens, &c., are examples.

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Epipactis latifolia —White helleborine. Gaelic: éebor-geal.t A plant used formerly for making snuff. “The root of hellebor cut in small pieces, the pounder drawne vp into the nose causeth sneezing, and purgeth the brain from grosse and slimie humors.” —GERARD, 1597. This is probably the plant referred to in “Morag,” when Macdonald describes the buzzing in his head, for even his nose he had to stop with Aed/ebore, since he parted from

her endearments. ‘Mo cheann tha lan do sheilleanaibh O’n Gheilich mi ri d’bhriodal Mo shron tha stoipt’ a dh'elebor, Na deil, le teine dimbis.”

IRIDACEA.

Tris—Signifying, according to Plutarch, the “eye.” Canon Bourke maintains ‘‘it is derived from épw, to settle. And as a name it was by the Pagan priests applied to the imaginary messenger, sent by gods and goddesses to others of their class, to announce tidings of goodwill. At times they imagined her sent to mortals, as in Homer, ¢o se¢t/e matters, or to say they were destined to be settled. Such was the duty of Irs. Now, amongst Jews and Christians, the rainbow was the harbinger of peace to man, hence it was called ‘Iris;’ and the circle of blue, grey, or variegated tints around the pupil of the eye is not unlike the rainbow—therefore this circlet was so called by optic scientists, simply because they had no other word; and botanists have, by comparison, applied it to the /lewr-de-lis, because it is varied in hue, like the iris of the eye, or the rainbow. 77s does not and did not convey the idea of eye.”

I, pseud-acorus—The yellow flag. Gaelic: dog-uisge—bdog, soft, but here a corruption of dogha-uisge, the rainbow. Bir dbhogha {O’Reilly), many of the species have beautiful colours, hence the name. Gaelic and Irish: sec/isdear, often seileasdear and siolastar. The termination fav, dear, or as¢ar, in these names, means one of a kind, having a settled form or position. One finds this ending common in names of plants—as oleaster, cotoneaster, &c., like “rnp” in Greek, “fear” in Gaelic. SeiZ (the first syllable) from sol, the sun; sodus, light; sof and Zeus, z.e., lux, light. Greek:

1 See Helleborus viridis.

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HAuos (9 or ¢ long), hence sé, e and 7 to give a lengthened sound,

as in Greek. Sez/eastar, therefore, means the plant of light— Fleur de luce. Other forms of the word occur, Sv%o/ instead of seil, as stolstrach ; siol or stl, to distil, to drop—an alteration probably suggested by the medicinal use made of the roots of the plant, which were dried, and made into powder or snuff, to produce salivation by its action on the mucous membrane. Fetleastrom, feleastrom, feleastar. Here f is the affected or digammated form. When eéeasfar (another form of the word) lost the ‘s,’ then, for sound’s sake, it took the digammated form (fjeleastar. Strom (the last syllable) is a diminutive termination. Seilistear, diminutive form seiZistrin, and corrupted into sez/istrom.” —Bourke. Welsh: ged/hesg. According to Ebel, sec/sdear is from Latin salicastrum,

I. foetidissima—Stinking gladwin. Manx: cogagach, sword grass or flag. Welsh: Zys’r hychgryg, quinsy wort.

Crocus—Greek: «péxos. Much employed among the ancients for seasonings, essences, and for dyeing purposes.

C. sativus Colchicum autumnale Gaelic and Irish: ¢7d, erodh, crich—crodh chorcar' “Se labhair Fionn nan chro-shnuadh.””—CoNN Mac DEaRG. Thus spake Fingal the saffron-hued. ‘“Spiocnard agus crdch.”—DAN SHOLAIMH. Spikenard and saffron. Saffron was much cultivated anciently for various purposes, but above all for dyeing. ‘The first habit worn by persons of