Feb. 1, 1S69.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIEN CE -GOSSIP. 



ENGLISH PLANT-NAMES. 



What's in a name ? That which we call a rose, 

 By any other name would smell as sweet. 



Shakespkare. 



MONG the many 

 quotations from 

 the works of our 

 great dramatist 

 which are con- 

 tinually " crop- 

 ping up " in our 

 conversation — 

 which, as it were, 

 have so fixed 

 themselves upon 

 our memory that 

 we cite them all unconsciously, sometimes not even 

 knowing whence they come — there is not one more 

 hackneyed than that which heads this paper. So 

 hackneyed is it, that we have come to regard it, 

 not only as stating, in its literal sense, an incontro- 

 vertible fact, but as containing an insinuation at 

 least, that there is really little or nothing in a name 

 after all. 



In the present paper, I am going to attempt to 

 show that there is, in many cases at least, a great 

 deal in a name. I deprecate most strongly a state- 

 ment which appeared in a recent number of 

 'Science-Gossip, that "an examination of the com- 

 mon or vulgar terms applied to plants and animals 

 will at once introduce us to a complete language of 

 meaningless nonsense, almost impossible to retain, 

 and certainly worse than useless when remembered 

 — a vast vocabulary of names, many of which signify 

 that which is false, and most of which mean nothing 

 at all." I have for some time been engaged in col- 

 lecting the local names of plants, and, as far as 

 they are concerned, I find very few which have no 

 signification, — and doubtless even these few will, in 

 ■course of time, be explained ; while, in the majority 

 of cases, there is not only a meaning, but a very 

 good and appropriate reason for the name. 



It is only those who have given, at any rate, 

 some slight attention to this subject of local names, 

 No. 50. 



who can at all comprehend the multiplicity of 

 sources from which they have been derived. The 

 names of our birds are less numerous, and, to my 

 mind, less interesting ; although doubtless Mr. Hol- 

 land, to whom the lists sent to Science-Gossip 

 have been intrusted, will show that among them 

 there is ample food for reflection : but the varied 

 uses and associations of plants— religious, medicinal, 

 ornamental, poetical, domestic— have each contri- 

 buted to swell the list, and the result is both 

 curious aud instructive. When, in the earlier days 

 of this magazine, the Editor intimated his willing- 

 ness to become curator of any lists of names which 

 might be sent, until it should be decided how to make 

 use of them, he probably did not expect so hearty a 

 response to his proposition. Many of the lists sent 

 are far too copious to include in a paper short 

 enough for insertion; a whole number of Gossip 

 might be filled with them alone, without note or 

 comment. This will, I hope, be considered a suffi- 

 cient apology for the non-appearance of much inter- 

 esting information in the present paper ; a second 

 one is in preparation, which will include many 

 names here omitted ; but a volume is needed to do 

 the subject justice. Mr. Holland and myself hope 

 at some future period to publish such a volume : 

 and any contributions or suggestions addressed to 

 Robert Holland, Mobberley, Knutsford ; or to 

 James Britten, High Wycombe, will receive due 

 attention. The thanks of all who may find iu this 

 paper anything worthy of note, are due to the 

 following contributors: — "R. W.;" "C. A.;" 

 " M. H. ;" " G. B. C. ;" ",J. S., Jun. ;" " E. G. B. ;" 

 " J. B. ;" " T. E. W. ;" " G. S. ;" " E. M. H. ;" 

 " R. E. D. ;" " V. A. S;" " W. B ;" " W. S ;" " L ;" 

 "J. B." (Cockan) ; "L. S.;" "T. S.;" and others; 

 for from them many of the names referred to have 

 been received. Mr. Hollaud's assistance has been 

 of especial value to me ; and for much of the infor- 

 mation regarding the derivation of plant-uames I 



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