150 NAMES OF PLANTS. 



Pan'icum, Linneus. From L., |?ams, bread; the seeds of 

 some si^ecies being used to make bread. 

 Crus-galli, Linneus. L., cms, leg, galU, of a cock ; old 

 officinal name. 



Papa'ver, Pliny. " So named because it is administered 

 with pap (papa in Keltic) to induce sleep." — Hooker 

 and Arnott. The etymology is dubious. 

 Argemo'^ie, Dioscorides. G. name of the plant, from 

 argema, on account of its use formerly for the cure 

 of cataract in the eye. See Agrimonia. 

 Rhce'as, Lobel. Called by the Greeks mecon, poppy, 

 rhoias. Rhoia (rhsea) :means a Pomegranate, which 

 the capsules somewhat resemble. Or perhaps from 

 rJieo, I flow; which derivation seems to have been 

 more generally accepted, for Dodonseus and the other 

 botanists of that time give Papaver liquidum as the 

 L. name, which might have been applied on account 

 of its quickly-falling petals, or seeds, or the milky juice 

 which flows from the stems if they are broken : though, 

 as pointed out by Gerard, such distinctions are not 

 more applicable to this kind of poppy than to others. 



Parieta'ria, Pliny. From L., paries, a wall ; the species 

 frequently growing on walls. 



Par'is, Matthiolus. L., equal, on account of the regularity of 

 its leaves and flowers. It was formerly called Herba 

 Paris, or Paris herba, and we call it Herb Paris. 



Parnas'sia, Linneus. From Mount Parnassus, though this 

 " grass of Parnassus" is by no means peculiar to that 

 locality. It was called Grass of Parnassus {Gramen 

 Parnassium) by Dodonseus, and others of his time. 



Pastin'aca, Pliny. L. for a parsnip, or carrot ; from pastus, 

 food. 



Pedicula'ris, Gerard. From L., pecliculus, a louse ; because 

 it was supposed to produce a lousy disease in sheep. 



Pep'lis, Linneus. From G., peplion, anciently applied to 



