THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 7 



word cohosh is of Indian origin and without more evidence 

 as to its meaning, the proper distribution of these plant names 

 cannot be made. Among other names, coral berry and red- 

 Iierry naturally belong to A. rubra, while white beads, white- 

 berry, and necklace-weed are claimed by A. alba. The fruits 

 are too evanescent to be used as beads, but they are sufficiently 

 I)eadlike in appearance to suggest these names. Doll's eyes is 

 another peculiarly descriptive name for A. alba. Both of our 

 species bear the name of snakeroot, and A. rubra is further 

 distinguished as rattlesnake herb and toad-root. Possibly 

 these names are due to a mistake of these plants for Cimici- 

 fuga. Rattlesnake herb may have been given the plants 

 through mistaking them for the rattlesnake fern {Botrycliiiun 

 Virgmianum) which they resemble much in appearance. The 

 fact that A. rubra is also called grape-wort lends color to this 

 suggestion, since other species of Botrychium are called grape- 

 ferns. The red fruits may have suggested this name, but they 

 are far from being grapelike. Herb Christopher applied to 

 these and many other plants is without obvious meaning. 



Bugbane, a direct translation of Cimicifiiga, is the com- 

 mon name of that group of plants which is also known as 

 black cohosh and black snakeroot. These terms have been 

 sufficiently discussed under Actaea. Species of Cimicifuga 

 are also called rattle-weed, rattle-snakeroot, rattle top, and 

 rattle-root. Possibly the harmless seed-pods, shaking in the 

 wnntry wind, have given rise by association to the idea of 

 snakes, and, through a similarity in appearance, the noxious 

 reputation has been passed on to the Actaeas. Such things have 

 happened before now in human affairs. 



Though the generic name Aquilegia is usually derived 

 from Aquila, the eagle, the best known common name is a 

 direct refutation of the idea, for columbine is derived from a 

 word meaning dove. The derivation depends, perhaps, upon 

 the disposition of the observer. Some see in the five spurred 

 petals, the talons of a bird of prey; others see only a number 



