NAMES OF PLANTS. 1^^ 



PoTENTiL'LA, Brunfels. From L. potent, powerful; on 

 account of the medicinal virtues attributed to some 

 of the species. It is a comparatively recent name, 

 and was applied by Matthiolus, Fuchs, and others of 

 that period, to Potentilla Anserina. Gerard also 

 gives Potentilla major as one of the names of Meadow 

 Sweet. 

 Auseri'na, Tragus. I have put down Tragus opposite 

 this name, but it was in common use in his time 

 officinally for this plant, and continued in use for 

 some time afterwards; thus you may find it in 

 Linneus' ' Materia Medica ' as the ofdcinal name for 

 Potentilla. Lonicerus says :— " By what name the 

 ancients called that which we now-a-days call Poten- 

 tilla does not appear. It is Genserich of the Germans, 

 meaning the same as Anserina, because geese rejoice 

 in it for food." The derivation is from L., anser, a 

 goose; in English it is sometimes called Goose-grass. 

 Another old name for it was Argentina, fro^^ L., 

 argentum, silver ; Silver-weed, the name we commonly 

 give it in English. 

 Fragarias'trum. From Fragaria (which see), on account 

 of the resemblance. It was called by Linneus 

 Fragaria sterilis, and has since been called Potentilla 

 Fragaria, and P. fragarioides. The Enghsh names 

 are Barren Strawberry, and Strawberry-leaved 

 Cinquefoil. See Raiolianistrum under Eaphanus. 

 TormentiVla, Matthiolus. By Dodonseus this is set down 

 as a recent name, the older being Septifolium, or 

 Septfoil. I do not meet with any explanation of 

 Tormentilla: in French it is Tormentille. The 

 reference would seem to be to its medicinal properties 

 as an astringent in bowel complaints, for which it is 

 still used. L., tormina, dysenteric pains. 



