4 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



It was inevitable that the cheerful yellow blossoms of 

 CaltJia palustris, appearing as they do among the early flow- 

 ers of spring, should acquire a large number of appellations 

 in the vernacular. Some of these are clearly due to a confu- 

 sion of the blossoms with those of other plants as in such 

 names as meadow buttercup, crowfoot, and cow lily, the latter 

 commonly used for the yellow pond lily. Meadow gowan 

 means simply meadow flower, and water gowan is of the same 

 nature, while coltsfoot refers to the shape of the leaves. The 

 best known common name, marsh marigold, comes down to 

 us from the time when the generic name, Caltlia, was used to 

 designate the pot marigold. Marigold, itself, is really Mary- 

 gold and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. 1 am at a loss to 

 discover the signifiance of the term blob, applied to this plant 

 in such combinations as may-blobs and horse-blobs. One 

 meaning of blob is a splash of color, but that the flower name 

 is derived from this is simply conjecture. Cowslip is a com- 

 mon name in America for our plant, though it is only remotely 

 related to the true cowslip or primrose. The English cow- 

 slip is also a yellow-flowered species and our plant would be 

 easily mistaken for it by the ignorant. It may be questioned 

 whether bull-flower and bull's-eyes are from the same source 

 as cowslip. Hilderic Friend derives the first from pool flow- 

 er, and perhaps bull-rush may likewise be pool rush ! Crazy 

 Bet, and drunkards, are English names which allude to the 

 ancient belief that the smell of these flowers caused insanity 

 or at least deprived one of his senses. Could meadow-bout, 

 and boots, also be derived from drinking bouts? Gools is 

 probably a corruption of golds, and water goggles may be 

 from the same source, but who can account for water dragon 

 and capers? King's cup doubtless allude to the large golden 

 flowers, as soldier's buttons does to their color. 



That the more conspicuous flowers have the greatest 

 number of common names is especially true of the early flow- 

 ers, which, coming at the end of winter, attract the attention 



