THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 61 



means simply "dew of the sea". Our jilant in the (>k\ days 

 was known as rosinariuus, sylvcstrc minus. A larger species 

 of Andromeda is named floribundn. This is the "mountain 

 fetter-bush". If we are to beheve the b(X)ks this \ ernacular 

 name is due to the fact that the twigs form such (k-nse chunps 

 that animals haw (Hfliculty in pushing through them, — an idea 

 tliat the appearance of the shrub does not bear out. Still 

 another "fetter-bush" is Lyonia nitida, until recently classed 

 with the Andromedas. This is also called "pipe-stem" proba- 

 bly fidin its hollow stems. A southern species is known as 

 "pipe-wood" because its hollow stems are used by smokers. 

 Lyonia Mariana' is familiarly and appropriately known as 

 "stagger-bush". Like so many other members of the Ericaceae, 

 its foliage is p(MSonous to stock and it has even been accused, 

 doubtless without reason, of producing poisonous honey. It 

 may be possible that "fetter-bush" applied to allied species 

 may after all refer to the poisonous nature of the plant and 

 its tendency to hinder the locomotion of animals that eat it. 

 "Wicks" may be another form of "wicopy" used for other 

 members of this family. "Sorrel-tree", which Britton lists 

 among the names of this plant is clearly a misnomer and 

 probably is an error made in transcribing the names. I am 

 at a loss to know why Lyonia ligustrina should be called 

 "male-berry". Among its other names is "seedy buck-berry" 

 "white wood", "white alder" and "pepper-bush". The last 

 mentioned name is probably derived from the .small round 

 seed cap.sules but the others are meaningless for the plant 

 has little resemblance to the alder. The plant commonly re- 

 garded as best entitled to the name "white alder" is Clcthra 

 alnifolia. The generic name of this plant is said to have 

 been the ancient Greek name for the alder and the common 

 names have followed the scientific for some thousands of 

 years. Resides "white alder", this plant is known as "white 



