94 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



is on the ground where the berries are wont to be covered with 

 dew. This habit also gives it the name of "running black- 

 berry." A southern ftjrm, R. cuneifoliiis, is known as the"sand 

 blackberry." The latter is also called "brier berry." Riibus 

 triflorus, a blackberry with much the aspect of a raspberry, is 

 known as "bog-berry," "swamp berry," "running raspberry," 

 "plum berry" and "pigeon l^erry," all names of obvious mean- 

 ing. The term rose serves the true roses so well that our native 

 species have practically no other names in the vernacular ex- 

 cept as familiar adjectives may be added to distinguish the 

 various species. The European species are called "hip-briers," 

 "hip roses" or "hip trees," the word hip being an ancient name 

 for the brambles {Rubus). "Brier rose" refers to the thorny 

 stems. Any tln^rny plant in ancient days was likely to bear 

 the name of brier, especially species of Rosa and Rubiis, but 

 the "brier" from which pipes are made is none of these but a 

 thornless heath of Europe. The "sweet briar" is Rosa nihi- 

 ginosa and refers to the odcjr of the foliage. The commcjn 

 name of "eglantine" is also derived from an ancient word for 

 brier. 



It is suggested by Prof. J. C. Nelson that the termination 

 aster in Cotoncastcr does not mean "star" l)ut in merely a 

 diminutive ending as in Opulastcr — Opitlus being the cran- 

 berry tree and Opnlastcr a genus that reseml)les it. Malvas- 

 tniin is a name formed in a similar way. We followed P>rit- 

 ton's Manual in our rendering of Cotoneastcr. Doubtless 

 Prof. Nelson is correct, though there is room for (loul)t since 

 Aster also means a star. In the common names of Ilepatica 

 triloba we overlooked one that is current in parts of New- 

 England, namely, "blue anemone." This accords well with 

 the facts for the plant usually bears blue flowers and was' 

 once classed with the species of Anemone. 



