THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 125 



nacular name of windflower to several species. Wood's 

 "Class-book of Botany" says that these plants were called 

 anemones because many species love windy places. Whatever 

 the derivation, it may be mentioned in passing that the accent 

 should be placed on the third syllable making the word sound 

 exactly like Annie Mony. Thus far this has been overlooked 

 by those sticklers for the new way of pronouncing Arbutus 

 and Gladiolus. Anemonella, the generic name for the rue 

 anemone, is a diminutive of Anemone. 



The authorities also fail to agree as to the derivation of 

 Clematis. Wood says it is from the Greek klenia a vine or 

 tendril, Gray says it is a name given by Dioscorides to a 

 climbing plant with long and lithe branches. As to Adonis, 

 Wood says "Feigned to have sprung from the blood of 

 Adonis when wounded by the boar" but Gray opines that 

 "Adonis was a favorite of Venus and after death was changed 

 to this flower." 



The globe flower genus, Trollius, is another bone of con- 

 tention. According' to Wood it is derived from Trollen mean- 

 ing golden. Britton's Manual derives it from Trol, round. 

 Webster's Dictionary says it is from Torolya, the Hungarian 

 name for the plant, and Gray explains it as from Trollblume, 

 the German common name. Troll, it will be remembered, is 

 the German name for a mischievous dwarf or fairy. Perhaps 

 the flower is named for the troll ! Anybody is at liberty to 

 adopt whichever derivation seems to him most correct or to 

 make one of his own. In any event, one can hardly look for 

 accuracy in lesser writers when the authorities differ so mark- 

 edly. 



Diosocorides is responsible for the generic name Tlialic- 

 trum applied to the meadow rue, which Wood says means "to 

 be green." Helleborus, usually regarded as of unknown der- 

 ivation, is said by the same author to come from two Greek 

 words which mean "the food that causes death." The genus is 

 well known to be poisonous. Aquilegia is derived from 



