60 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



Greek for a pair of bellows and fruit, in allusion to the in- 

 flated capsules of some species. Opulastcr, another name of- 

 ten used for this genus is from the same tongue and means 

 wild cranberry tree. Chamaerhodos is Greek and might be 

 translated "low or dwarf rose." Filipcndula is from the Latin 

 filum "thread," and pendida, "hanging," but does not seem 

 to refer to the roots, as Gray asserts. Aruncus is a name used 

 by Pliny for the goat's-beard. Primus is the Latin name for 

 the plum and accounts for the fact that the dried fruit is 

 known as a prune. Mains was the Greek for apple and Dryas 

 was named for a wood nymph, or dryad, the special protector 

 of the oak. 



Professor J. C. Nelson suggests that the "seal" in such 

 names as "golden-seal" mentioned in the last number, may 

 have the same significance as it does in "Solomon's-seal" 

 where the allusion is to the branch scars. With reference to 

 other species he adds: "If Aquilegia is from aqitUcgus, 'water 

 drawing' as Gray has it in the 'Field, Forest and Garden Bot- 

 any', might not the reference be to the shape of the spurs 

 which remotely resemble those long water jars (ampliurac) 

 which the Romans used to stick in the ground? Might not 

 'Jack-in-trousers' have the same significance as 'Dutchman's 

 breeches', referring to the shape of the spurs?" 



Apropos of "blobs" mentioned among the vernacular 

 names of CaltJia palustris in the last num1)er, Mr. C. F. Saun- 

 ders notes that "blob" also signifies a bul)l)lc or l)lister and is 

 not inappropriately applied to such globular flowers as those 

 of Caltha and Niiphar. He further observes "I have always 

 entertained the notion tlial popvflar plant names are fre(|uently 

 the work of children in whom impulse and fancy, rather than 

 scientific ob.servation, play the essential part." This is quite 

 likely correct and yet many of the fanciful names of plants 



