THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 27 



Among good examples may be mentioned the horse-chest- 

 nut and the lupine. 



SOME SHAMROCK FOLKLORE. 



"The sweet little, green little shamrock of Ireland" is 

 perhaps next to 



"Sublime potatoes that from Antrim's shore 



To famous Kerry form the poor man's store," 

 the most universally popular plant in the world to-day, 

 for while the latter may be the more widely known and 

 most useful to all nations, the former holds an unique 

 place in the realms of sentiment ; and among people of 

 Celtic and Saxon origin is regarded with the warmest 

 affection as emblematic of all that is charming and lovable 

 in the Irish character — a character which blends 

 "Three God-like friends 

 Love, valor, wit, forever." 



A great deal has been written as to what is the real 

 plant meant by the shamrock and as a rule most of the 

 commentators start out with St. Patrick w^ho used a 

 three-leaved plant satisfactorily to explain to the early 

 converts of Christianity the trinity in unity. The trefoil 

 plant, however, was held sacred long before that, as can 

 readily be gathered from the fact that shamroc and sham- 

 rakh is Arabic for the trefoil and the plant was held sacred 

 in Iran and was emblematic of the Persian triad long be- 

 fore St. Patrick's day. Mr. Bicheno and others have held 

 that the wood sorrel {Oxalis acetosella) is the true sham- 

 rock while Dr. Withering and Professor Rennie named the 

 white clover {Trifolium repens) and London claimed the 

 black medic {Medicago lupulina) as the true Irish emblem, 

 Mr. Croker,(not he of Tammany) points out, however, 

 that as far back as 1689 the Irish themselves considered 

 sorrel and shamrocks as entirely distinct. The "Irish 

 Hudibras" printed in 1689 says, 



"Springs, happy springs adorned with sallets, 

 Which Nature purpos'd for their palats ; 



Shamrogs and watercress he shews 

 Which w^as both meat and drink and clothes." 



