NAVIES OF PLANTS. 



151 



the genus Portulaca, now to this one, which is similar 

 in habit. 

 Por'tula, Dillenius. L., portulaca, Purslane. 

 Petasi'tes, Dioscprides. From G., loetasos, a covering to 

 the head, or an umbrella; on account of the great 

 size of its foliage. 

 Petroseli'num, Dioscorides. From G., iMros, rock, and 



selinon, parsley ; as it grows in rocky places. 

 Peuced'anUxM, Dioscorides. From G., pence, a pine tree 

 and dams, a gift ; on account of a resinous substance 

 that exudes from some of the species. 

 Ostru'thium, Dodonseus. This name was applied to 

 Masterwort, on the Linnean system of nomenclature, 

 by Koch.* It is an old name for the plant, which 

 was formerly also called Astrantia and Imperatoria. 

 Dodonseus says :— " Some recent authorities call this 

 plant Imperatoria, as well as Astrantia, and some 

 Ostrutium, the same as Struthion, but it differs 

 greatly from Struthion." Struthion is an old Greek 

 name of Theophrastus for some unrecognized plant , 

 and is mentioned by Pliny, who calls it Eadicula, in 

 Latin. More recently it has been given to different 

 plants, as to Sneezewort {Achillea Ptarmica), and to 

 our garden plant, the Scarlet Lychnis [Lychnis Choice- 

 clonics), which Dodonseus calls Flos Constantinopoli- 

 tanus. I cannot trace the meaning of Ostruthium. 

 Phal'aris, Dioscorides. G., phal, shining; Canary-seed 



being very glossy. 

 Phle UM, Pliny. G.,phleos, formerly applied to the Eeed-mace, 

 to which this genus bears some distant resemblance. 



»- Wilbelm Daniel Joseph Koch was born at Kusel, near Deux- 

 Ponts, in 1771, and died at Erlangen in 1849. He published several 

 botanical works, the most important being a Synopsis of the German 

 and Swiss Flora. He is celebrated for his extensive knowledge of 

 European plants. 



