NAMES OF PLANTS. 141 



or entwine ; in allusion to the method of ascent of 

 the Honeysuckle stem. 



Lo'tus, Theophrastus. Application uncertain ; it has been 

 supposed that it is one of the kinds of the lotos, of 

 the Greeks. 



Ludwig'ia. In honour of Christian Gottlieb Ludwig, a pro- 

 fessor of Botany at Leipsic, where he died in 1773. 



Lu'zuLA. Smith (Eng. Fl.) calls this genus "Luciola" 

 instead of Luzula, and remarks on it as being " an 

 indispensable correction in the orthography of the 

 name." He continues : — " The hairy heads of flowers, 

 wet with dew, and sparkling by moonlight, gave the 

 elegant Italians an idea of their lucciole, or glow- 

 worms ; sometimes written luzziole, but this is a 

 provincial corruption. Hence, however, John Bauhin 

 got the name of Gramen luzulcd, or Glow-worm Grass, 

 for he never called it Luzula, which would have been 

 the same as actually calling it a glow-worm." Not- 

 withstanding this correction the genus continues to 

 be called Luzula. All the names are derived from 

 L., luceo, I shine. 



Lychnis, Theophrastus. From G., lycJinos, a lamp ; " the 

 thick cottony substance on the leaves of some 

 species, or some similar plant, having been employed 

 as wicks for lamps;" or "from the flame -like flowers 

 of some species." There is some diff'erence of 

 opinion as to the exact reason of the name. 

 Flos- cii' cull, Tragus. 1j., flos, flower, cucuU, of the cuckoo. 

 A name that has been given to difi'erent plants that 

 flower in April and Maj^ "when (as Gerard expresses 

 it) the Cuckowe doth begin to sing her pleasant notes 

 without stammering ; " thus Dodon^ieus calls the May 

 Flower {Cardamine pratensis), Flos-cuculi. 

 Visca'ria, Lobel. From L., viscum, mistletoe, and also 



