1/4 The Scottish Naturalist. 



Hemp is curiously derived. It is traced through A. S. henep, Latin, 

 and Greek *«vwej3<f, to Sanscrit Ca?ia. 



Mandrake, German mandragen — resembling man, from its forked 

 roots like the lower half of the human figure. Mandrake is 

 short ior mandragora, as used in " Othello." It is from 



Greek ftav^pciynptzs. 



X. The tenth and last division contains names of which the 

 origin is either unknown or can be but roughly guessed. Some 

 of the names already given are by no means satisfactorily accounted 

 for ; but they have all more to say for themselves than those about 

 •to be mentioned. Names current in various parts of Scotland are 

 often very puzzling, such as 



Mirrot for carrot, a Ross-shire name. It is called morat or ?7iorod 

 in Scandinavia. It was probably brought across by Scandi- 

 navian pirates who settled on our Northern coasts. 



Carnbie-leaf and Bobbins, for the Water-lily. 



Drumlie-droits (Perthshire), and 



Black Boids (Ayrshire) for Bramble-berries. 



'Cow-cakes (Roxburgh) for the Wild Parsnip. 



Cow-cloos for the Common Trefoil. The Swedes call the Yellow 

 Trefoil, cat-cloos. 



Dogs Camozyne or Dog-gowan for the Fever-few, which itself means 

 febrifuge, because thought to be good against fever. 



Dog's Siller for the seed-vessels of the Yellow-rattle or Cockscomb. 



Dog's Tansy for Silver-weed. Tansy is said to be a corruption of 

 Greek a.4uvci<rU, immortality. 



Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum officinale), may perhaps be named 

 from leafscars on the rhizome. 



Explanations more or less doubtful have been offered of the 

 following : — 



Bourtree for the Elder. Jamieson suggests it may be Bower-tree, 

 from its forming an agreeable shade ; but Skinner, in his 

 botanical dictionary, gives a more likely account in referring 

 it to the ease with which this tree can be bored. The Germans 

 call it Holder or Hollow-tree. 



Apple-ringie (Artemisium abrotanum) for Southern-wood. Apil- 

 rengeis, in old Scotch meant a neck-lace of beads. This plant 

 is called " Lad's Love " in the North. 



Dusty Miller {Auricula). Some ridiculous opinions have been ex- 

 pressed as to the meaning of this name. Probably the most 

 feasible account is that it is due to the whitish dust covering 

 its leaves. 



More specially English names are Sweet William, Good King 

 Henry and Bat Hen (Chenopodium), of all of which no possible 

 •explanation has yet been given, and 



