THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 31 



Our coniniutK'st species of Baptisia — H. Iinctona — so 

 L-oninionly grows with the i);irlridge [jea tliat the mention of 

 Diie suggests the otlier. It i> usually called "wild indigo" 

 from the fact that an inferior dye can he made from it. 

 "False indigo" and "yellow indigo" are other names for it. 

 the \ellow in the last name referring to the flowers and not 

 to the dye. "Horse-fly weed" "horse-flea weed" and "shoofly" 

 alludes to the helief that sprays of this plant fastened to the 

 liarness will protect tlie horses from Hies. "Rattle-hush" 

 refers to the ripe pods in which the seeds rattle, hut the term 

 i> l)etter deserved by allied species. The name of "clover 

 broom" is in recognition of its resemblance to the true broom 

 {Cytissus scoparius). Because of its blue flowers, Baptisia 

 aitstralis is called "blue indigo" and "blue false indigo". It 

 is also known as "wild indigo." Baptisia alba is the prairie 

 indigo." 



Another genus named for the dye it contains is Genista. 

 The best known species is G. tinctoria, the specific name re- 

 ferring to its use in dyeing. The common names of "dye 

 weed", "green wood,", "green weed," "dyer's broom" and 

 "dyer's greenwood" are self explanatory. The names of 

 "woad-wax". "wood-wax," and "wood wash" are variations 

 of "woad-waxen" a very ancient name by which the Anglo- 

 Saxons knew still another dye-plant — Isatis tinctoria one of 

 the cresses. "Whin" sometimes applied to our plant is an 

 old term for weeds in general and was given to various jilants 

 as we we might apply the term brush at the present time. It 

 may be remembered in this connection that Genista is from 

 a word meaning simply bush. The plant was sometimes called 

 "base broom" to distinguish it from Cytissus scoparius. The 

 last mentioned plant is also known as "Scotch l)room." "green 

 broom" and "besom." The latter name is the old term for a 



