180 NAMES OF PLANTS. 



Tet'rakit, Dillenius. " Derived from G. tetras, four. Its 

 stem has four very decided corners." — Tlieis. Name 

 formerly given to some of the Hemp -nettles. 



Ga'lium, Dioscorides. G., gal, milk ; from the plant having 

 been used to curdle milk. This plant of Dioscorides 

 was Galium verum of Linneus. An English name 

 for it is Cheese-rennet, and the French call it Gaille- 

 lait, in allusion to its former use. 

 Crucia'ta. L., literally, crucified, but intended to signify 

 cross-shaped (crux, crucis, a cross) ; Crosswort, as we 

 call it, from the leaves, which are four in a whorl. 

 Formerly used as a substantive name, but now more 

 usually spelt with a small letter, erroneously according 

 to Linnean practice. Bentham, in his ' British Flora,' 

 retains Cruciata. It was named Galium cruciatum 

 by Withering. Camerarius gives the name Cruciata 

 to a Gentian, " Gentiana minor," or " Cruciata." It 

 is still called Gentiana Cruciata. 

 AparVne, Dioscorides. G. name for the plant; from 



ajKiiro, I take, or lay hold of. 

 Mollu'go, Dodonseus. According to him, from the softness 

 of its leaves (L., moll, soft), compared with Aparine. 

 These two species were formerly classed together under 

 the name Lappa, now used as a synonym of Arctium. 



Gastrid'ium. G., diminutive of gaster, the belly; a ventricle, 

 or little swelling, as is seen at the base of the spikelet. 



Genis'ta, Pliny. L. name for the Broom. It has been 

 given to several leguminous plants, as Broom, Gorse 

 and Dyers' Green-weed. It is said by some to be 

 derived from Keltic gen, a shrub, and by others from 

 L. gefiu, a knee ; but these conjectures seem fanciful, 

 and of no particular value. 



Gentia'na, Pliny. " Gentian was first discovered by Gen- 

 tius, king of Illyria" (Pliny) ; hence the name. The 



