224 The Scottish Naturalist. 



Sparganium. — Name in Greek denoting a little band, from the 

 ribbon-like leaves. 



S. ramosum — Branched bur-reed. Gaelic : figh seisg, the 

 king's sedge, from its being a large plant with sword-shaped 

 leaves. Seisg mheirg (Stewart), — meirg, rust, a standard or banner. 



S. simplex — Upright bur -reed. Gaelic: seisg madraidh. 

 Armstrong gives this name to S. erectum, by which he doubt- 

 less means this plant. Seisg, sedge, and madradh, a dog, a 

 mastiff. Name probably suggested by the plant being in per- 

 fection in the dog-days, the month of July, mlos Mhadrail. 



Juncace^e. 



Juncus, from the Latin jungo, to join. The first ropes were 

 made from rushes, and also floor covering. Ancient Gaelic : 

 aoin, from aon, one. Latin : wius. Greek : tv. Ger. : ein. 



" A dath amar dhath an aeil, 

 Coilcigh eturra agus aein. 

 Sida eturra is brat gorm, 

 Derg or eturra is glan chorn. " 



(From the description of the Lady Crehe's house by Caeilte MacRonain, 

 from the Books of Ballymote, a rare ancient poem. ) 



The colour [of her dihi\ is like the colour of lime : 

 Within it are couches and green rushes ; 

 Within it are silks and blue mantles ; 

 Within it are red gold and crystal cups. 



J. conglomeratus — Common rush. Gaelic and Irish : luachar, 

 a general name for all the rushes, meaning splendour, brightness; 

 hence luachar, a lamp. Latin : lucerna. Sanscrit : lauchanau, from 

 the root, lauch, light. The pith of this and the next species was 

 commonly used to make rush-lights. The rushes were stripped 

 of their outer green skin, all except one narrow stripe, and then 

 they were drawn through melted grease and laid across a stool 

 to set. " The title Luachra was given to the chief Druid and 

 magician, considered by the pagan Irish as a deity, who opposed 

 St Patrick at Tara in the presence of the king and the nobility, 

 who composed the convention " — ' Life of St Patrick.' Brog 

 braidhe (O'Reilly), — brog, a shoe ; but here it should be brbdh, 

 straw ; braidhe, a mountain, the mountain straw or stem. 



J. elfusus — Soft rush. Gaelic : luachar bog, soft rush. Irish : 

 feath, a bog. It grows best in boggy places. Fead, which seems 

 to be the same name, is given also to the bulrush. Fead, a 

 whistle, a bustle. 



