PLANT NAMES AND THEIR MEANINGS-VIII 



LILIACEAE-III 

 By W11.1.ARD N. Clute 



nnHE fame of the lily-of-the-valle)^ {Convallaria majalis) is 

 •■■ so widespread that the plant is almost universally referred 

 to by the name we here use. There are a few other names, 

 however, that are scarcely appropriate and probably belong 

 to that large class of book names that are rarely used except 

 in print. "Mayflower" is not distinctive in a region where 

 May is the flowery month and "May lily" is no better. 

 "Wood lily" is more properly applied to the true lilies and 

 "Conval lily" is merely an attempt to translate the generic 

 name. In much the same way that chrysanthemums are 

 known in the florists trade as "mums", the flowers of tlie 

 present species are called "valleys." 



Although the lily-of-the-valley is believed to be native to 

 some parts of our country, its reputation for being a denizen 

 of gardens is so fixed in the [)opular mind that other flowers 

 are referred to as "wild lilies-of-the-valley." The one most 

 commonly so named is Mainthemum canadeusc. This species 

 has leaves very similar in appearance to those of the garden 

 plant and its habit of growing in colonies adds to the resem- 

 blance. Although it normally bears two leaves, llie generic 

 name of Unifolium, sometimes given it, means "one-leaf" 

 and the plant is also known as "one-blade". The fruits are 

 tiny red berries and from this circumstance the plant is 

 known late in the summer as "ruby bead." The term "cow- 

 slip" applied to the plant is meaningless and doubtless indi- 



