154 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



the plant is known as "J^^^ Hill weed" because introduced 

 along the railroad sponsored by Hill. 



After so much mustard, rocket and cress, it is a relief 

 to turn to names showing more originality of application. 

 We may start with "sweet alyssum" which owes the last part 

 of its name to the fact that until recently it was known as 

 Alyssum maritima. Now the generic name is known to the 

 scientists as Lobularia, but the common name continues to be 

 alyssum. "Sweet Allison" is a corruption of the name just 

 given while "snowdrift" alludes to the abundant, though small, 

 white flowers. The plant's most ancient name is "madwort, " 

 given from a belief that it was a cure for the bite of a mad 

 dog. Alyssum alyssoides is also known as "heal-bite" and 

 "heal dog." Still another "madwort" is Alyssum saxatile. 

 This latter is also called "rock alyssum/' a name suggested 

 by its specific name, or perhaps both derived from the plant's 

 preference for rocks. A garden name for this species is "gold 

 dust." It may be added in passing that none of the plants 

 mentioned as madworts are of the slightest use against hydro- 

 phobia; indeed it is quite likely that none of them is the ori- 

 ginal madwort. 



Another European crucifer with wholly Imaginary me- 

 dicinal virtues is the little "whitlow grass" {Draha vcrna.) Tt 

 derives its common name, as well as that of "nailwort," from 

 an ancient belief that it would cure the form of felon known 

 as "whitlow" which usually involves the finger-nail. "Whit- 

 blow," in spite of the fact that the flowers are white, is un- 

 doubtedly a corruption of "whitlow," while "shad-blow" is 

 due simply to an interchange of names through ignorance, of 

 which the folk-lore of plants affords so many instances. The 

 name "shad-blow" belongs to Amclanchier of the Rosaceae. 

 Draha stylaris is also called "nailwort" as well as "hunger- 



