THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 71 



its allies was also known as "medick". "Puri)lc medic" 

 ;illu(K'> to the color ot llie flowers and ">nail llower" proba- 

 bly reter> to the coiled seed-pod, thoui;h 1)\- rii^dits Mcdicago 

 scutcUata, a species often cnlti\ated in <^ardens, is entitled to 

 tlii> name. This plant is another ot' the "sain foins". The 

 name appears to be ai)[)lied to an\- kind of \ aluable forage p'ant 

 thouii^hproljably the original "sain foin" was O nobrycliis satira . 

 This latter species was ancientl}' called "lucerne", also, and thi> 

 doubtless accounts for the curious tranposition of common 

 names. "Holy hay" a[)[)lied to our plant is a monument to 

 ihc ■stupidity of some early writer who mistoi»k the French 

 word signifying health for the woi'd saint. Tlie word al- 

 falfa, itself, is a rentlition of the Arabic alfacfaca/i, accord- 

 ing to the dictionary. 



Mcdicago liif^iiliiia is conunonlv known as "nonesuch." 

 The reason for this is not apparent for the term nonesuch com- 

 nmnly means \er\- superior. There is, howe\er. a secondary 

 definition of the word which indicates une(|ualled badness 

 and it i> possil)l\- in the latter sense that the name is ap])lied. 

 for the plant is an insignif'icrmt weed of no especial value, 

 it has. however, a multiplicitv of common names. Perhaps 

 "black medic", "black nonesuch" and black grass" may refer 

 to its tlisruputable (|ualities though "black-seed" seems to 

 ]iut the emphasis elsew'here. "Hop clover", "yellow' hop clo- 

 ver" and "hop medic" refer to the resemblance of this plant to 

 the "low hop clover" {Trifoliniii ) .TW\s species is often sokl 

 as the true shamrock, which for all we know of the matter it 

 very well might I)e. "Sain foin" naturally falls to a species 

 of Mcdicago and "horned clover" evidently refers to the 

 seed pods. Medicago dcnticulata bears the name of "bur 

 clover" and it would be singular if other members of the gen- 

 us have not acr[uired it. 



