133 NAMES OF PLANTS. 



Habena'ria, R. Brown. From L., hahena, a thong, or strap ; 

 which the lip of the flower somewhat resembles. 



Hed'era, Pliny. L. for Ivy. 



He'lix, Pliny, L., wound about, or twisted; another 

 name for Ivy. 



Heleoch'aris. See Eleocharis. 



Helian'themum, Cordus. G., hell, sun, anthemum, flower. 

 The reason for the name is uncertain. It has been 

 erroneously supposed by poets, and others, that 

 flowers called sun-flowers continually turn towards 

 the sun. A more likely explanation of the name is 

 that their blooming depends much upon the bright- 

 ness of the sun. Some flowers, as Anagallis, Montia, 

 Nymphsea, and this Helianthemum, our English Rock 

 Rose, expand the best in bright sunshine, while others 

 have a difl'erent habit, as Tragopogon: — *'for it 

 shutteth it selfe at twelue of the clocke, and sheweth 

 not his face open vntill the next dales sunne do make 

 it flower anew, whereupon it was called Go to bed at 

 noone." — Gerard. Then again some plants come 

 into bloom in the evening. 



Helleb'orus, Dioscorides. G., hele {helein), take away, or 

 remove, and hor, food. The name was originally 

 given more especially to White Hellebore (Veratrum 

 album, of Linneus), and Fuchs gives this as its mean- 

 ing. Gerard tells us : " The root of the White Hel- 

 lebore procureth vomit mightily, wherein consisteth 

 his chief vertue." 



Helmin'thia. G., helminth, a small kind of worm ; refer- 

 ring to the form of the fruit. 



Heloscia'dium. From G., helos, a marsh, and sciadion, an 

 umbel. 



Herac'leum, Pliny, Named from the hero Hercules. Pliny 

 mixes up a number of plants under this name in 

 hopeless confusion. 



