28 
meaning ‘‘ blessed,” and the plant owes this 
name to the fact that Platearius tells us that 
‘¢ where the root is in the house the devil can do 
nothing, and flies from it : wherefore it is blessed 
above all other herbs.’’ He also says that if a 
man carries this root about him no venomous 
beast can harm him. 
BLESSED THISTLE. Carduus benedictus. It i 
said to owe its name “ Blessed ”’ to its supposed 
power of counteracting the effect of poison. The 
name is also given to Carduus marianus. 
BLETHER WEED. The Bladder Campion, Silene 
Cucubalus (Dorset). 
BLIppy WrrRes. A _ corruption of BLOODY 
WARRIORS. A very general name in Somerset for 
all varieties of Wallflower, Cheiranthus Cheirt, 
but particularly the dark red ones. 
BLIND MAN. A name given in South-West 
Wilts to the common Red Poppy. Papaver 
Rheas,which is locally supposed to cause blindness 
if looked at too long. 
BLIND MAN’s Burr. A_ correspondent at 
Axbridge gives me this as a local name for the 
Traveiler’s Joy, Clematis Vitalba, more commonly 
known as Old Man’s Beard. 
BLIND NETTLE. <A name given to most of the 
Dead Nettles and Hemp Nettles, but perhaps 
more particularly to 
(1) The White Dead-nettle, Lamium album. 
Dr. Prior says that in consequence of the leaves 
of the White Dead-nettle not harming or seeming 
to notice anybody, the plant bears in most 
languages a name that implies thatit is dead, 
deaf, or blind. 
(2) The Common Hemp-nettle, Galeopsis 
T etrahit. 
BLINKS or WATER-BLINKS. Montia fontana. 
So called from its half-closed little white flowers 
peering from the axils of the upper leaves, as 
if afraid of the light. 
BLISTER PLANT. The Meadow Crowfoot or 
Buttercup, Ranunevlus acris, which, as its nam e 
suggests, is very acrid. It blisters the mouths of 
cattle if they eat it, and the hands of children 
who gather it. It is stated that tramps some- 
times tub its juice on their hands to raise blisters 
as evidence of their having done hard work. 
Buioss. (1) A fairly general name in Somerset 
and the adjacent counties for the Foxglove, 
Digitalis purpurea. 
(2) In Wilts the name is given to the Yellow 
Water Lily. Nymphea lutea. 
Buoop Cup. (1) A correspondent at Chelborough 
(Dorset) gives me this as a local name for the 
Woodruff, Asperula odorata. 
(2) The Scarlet Elf-cup Fungus, Peziza 
coccinea, commonly known in Somerset as 
Soldier’s Caps. 
