102 NAMES OF PLANTS. 



the plants originally thought to belong to this 

 family." — Moore. 



Al'nus, Pliny. L., the Alder tree. The etymology has 

 been referred to the Keltic and the Hebrew, but is 

 uncertain. 



Alopecu'rus, Theophrastus. G., aloj^ec, a fox, and oura, a 

 tail, Foxtail. 



Alsi'ne, Dioscorides. G., alsos, a grove ; from its kind of 

 habitat, according to Pliny. This name has been 

 given to several quite different plants, but is now 

 confined to a genus of the Pink famil}^, and the name 

 of a sub -order Alsinese is formed from it. 



ALTHiE'A, Dioscorides. L., Marsh Mallow, from G., althein, 

 to heal ; from its healing properties. 



Alys'sum, Dioscorides. G., a, not, and lyssa, canine mad- 

 ness ; a reputed remedy for this disease. 



Amaran'tus, Pliny. From G., amarantos, unfading. Ama- 

 ranth, Everlasting Flower. 

 Bli'tum, Dioscorides ; old name for the wild Amaranth, 

 or Elite. Pliny describes it as being " without 

 flavour, or any pungency whatever ; hence it is that 

 in Menander we find husbands giving this name to 

 their wives by way of reproach." In G., hletton, in 

 L., blitiwi, from which is formed the adjective hliteus, 

 signifj-'ing tasteless, insipid, silly, foolish, or stupid. 



Ammoph'ila. From G., aminos (the same as psammos), 

 sand, and xthilos, loving. See Psamma. 



Anach'aris. G., ana, without, and cliaris, elegance. 



Alsinas'triim. Alsine-like, or like Chickweed, a name 

 given by Professor Babington to a plant imported by 

 some unknown means from America, first observed in 

 1842, and now^ a very troublesome water weed. 



Anagal'lis, Dioscorides. The meaning is doubtful. The 

 name has been used for several plants, as Pimpernel, 



