THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 33 



sinister reputation as a loco-weed. This species is occasionally 

 known as "stcnilcs> loc<t-wcc(l." "crazy weed" and "Colorado 

 loco-vetch." t 



The clovers form a wide-spread and well known group 

 and have naturally acquired many common names mostly 

 of obvious meaning. The word "clover", itself, is a corrup- 

 tion of clava a club, in support of this it may be noted that 

 tlie "clui)" of our playing cards is represented by a conven- 

 tionalized clover leaf. Clover is supposed to derive its name 

 from the great three-headed clul) of Hercules. The French 

 word for clover is trcjic and the Latin is trefoil both carrying 

 a reference to the three leaflets. Probably the best known 

 of the clovers is the common white species {Trifolinm rcpcns). 

 It is often reputed to be the true "shamrock" but the identity 

 of the plant used by St. Patrick has never been settled. If the 

 plant was a clover at all, the honor seems more likely to belong 

 to Ti'ifoliiiui (hihiuiii or 7\ iniiiiiinnii. Many people are of 

 'the opinion that the wood sorrel {O.valis} is the shamrock. 

 Other names for T. rcpcns are "white trefoil" which is self 

 explanatory and "Dutch Clover" from its reputed place of 

 origin. "Honeysuckle clover" refers to the honey or nectar in 

 its flowers and not to the plant by that name. The term 

 "purplcwort" means nothing at all when applied to this 

 plant. If used at all it should be given to the red clover (T. 

 pratcnsc). A careless bibliographer may liave confused the 

 two species. English names for T. rcpcns are "sheep's 

 gow;ui". "honey stalks" and "lamb's sucklings." 



The soft furry covering of Trifolhim arvense seems to 

 have caught the fancy of nature-lovers to judge of such nrunes 

 as "rabbit's-foot clover", "hare's-foot clover", "pussy clover", 

 "pussies," "pussy-cats," and "dogs and cats." "Calf clover" 

 may have the same origin. "Old field clover", "stc^ie clover" 



