MARYGOLD. 239 



MARYGOLD. 



CALENDULA. 



CORYMBIFER^. SYNGENESIA POLYGAMIA NECESSARIA. 



The derivation of Calendula is uncertain : some say it is from the 

 Calends. In EngHsh the old name for these flowers is Golds, or Rudds. 

 Golds, or GouldeSj is a name given by the country people to a variety 

 of yellow flowers ; and the name of the Virgin Mary has been added 

 to many plants which were anciently, for their beauty, named after 

 Venus, of which the Marygold is one : Costmary, the Virgin jNIary's 

 Costus, is another. The French name it, souci du jardin [garden 

 marygold] ; in Provence they call it gauche fer [left-hand iron] ; per- 

 haps from its round form, like a shield which is borne on the left arm, 

 in contradistinction to the sword, used in the right. The Italians call 

 it calendula ortense, fiorrancio, a corruption of fiore arancio (orange 

 flower) and fiore d'ogni mese, or flower of every month ; which latter 

 name gives countenance to the derivation of Calendula from the 

 Calends. 



The Field IMarygold is a native of most parts of Europe^ 

 and differs but little from the Garden JVlarygold, except 

 in being altogether smaller. 



The Garden JVlarygold grows naturally in the vineyards 

 of France, the cornfields of Italy, and the orchards, fields, 

 and gardens of Silesia. It was esteemed for its dazzling 

 splendour long before its uses were discovered : it is a 

 common ingredient in soups; and is said, as the old 

 authors express it, " greatly to comfort the heart and the 

 spirits." It has also been recommended as a medicine, 

 but has not obtained much reputation in this way. For- 

 merly it was considered as a wholesome ingredient in 

 salads, but there is an acrimony in the whole plant which 

 has even caused it to be commended as a destroyer of 

 warts. Infused in vinegar, the INIarygold is supposed to 

 prevent infection, even that of the plague itself; and, so 

 infused, both the leaves and flowers are found a powerful 

 sudorific. It is, however, very probable that the efficacy 



