120 The Scottish Naturalist. 



Ranunculace^. 



Thalictrum — (OaXXo), tha/lo, to grow green). 



Crielic * ni^h fii ftif^Ji I 



y ' , ' ., •^ ' ' ^ { ^^^ (°^ plants resembling Rata 



graveolens). See Gerard. 



T. alpinum. — Ru ailpeach : Alpine meadow-rue. 



T. minus. — Ru beg : Lesser meadow-rue. Rue is nearly the 

 same in most of the ancient languages ; said to be from pvw, 

 to flow ; Gaelic — ruith^ flow, rush ; their roots, especially 

 T. fiavum^ possessing powerful cathartic qualities like rhubarb. 

 Compare also ru^ run, 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.) 



" I'll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace " — Shakespeare. 

 " Mo run geal og ! " — My fair young beloved oxxo. ! 

 " Oir a ta sibh a toirt deachaimh 'a mionnt, agus a 7'u, agus gach uile ghne 

 luibhean." — For ye tithe mint and rue, and all manner of herbs. 



The Rue of Shakespeare is generally supposed to be Ruta 

 graveolens {Rii gharaidh), a plant belonging to another order, 

 and not indigenous. 



Anemone nemorosa — Wind-flower. Gaelic : ///};- na gaoithe, 

 wind-flower (Armstrong). Welsh : llysiauW givyut, wind-flower, 

 because some of the species prefer windy habitats. Irish : 

 7iead chailleach, old woman's nest. 



Ranunculus. — From Gaelic, ran; Egyptian, ranah ; Latin, 

 rana, a frog, because some of the species inhabit humid places 

 frequented by that animal, or because some of the plants have 

 leaves resembling in shape a frog's foot. Ranunculus is also 

 sometimes called crowfoot. Gaelic : cearban, raggy, from its 

 divided leaves. Gair-cean, from gair, a smile ; ceaii, love, ele- 

 gance. Welsh : crafj-ange y /ran, crows' claws. . 



R. acLuatilis — Water crowfoot. Gaelic : fleann uisge, probably 

 from lean, to follow, and uisge, water, follower of the water. 

 Lion na Uaibhne, the river-flax. Irish : neul uisge, — >ieul, a star, 

 and uisge, water. Tuir chis, — tuir, a lord ; chis, purse (from its 

 numerous achenes). 



R. ficaria — Lesser celandine. Gaelic \ grain- aigein,\\-\dX which 

 produces loathing. Searraiche, a little bottle, from the form of 

 the roots. Welsh : toddedig zuen, fire dissolvent ; toddi, melt, 

 dissolve. 



R. flammula — Spearwort. Gaelic : glas-leun, — glas, green ; 



