168 NAMES OF PLANTS. 



Sime'this. Named after a Sicilian nymph called Symethis. 



Sina'pis, Theophrastus. G. and L. sinapi, mustard. 



Si'soN, Dioscorides. " Sizuiiy signifying in Keltic a running 

 brook; some of the plants formerly placed in this 

 genus delighting in such situations." — Theis. 

 Amo'mum, Pliny. A name of Pliny for a plant which he 

 describes, but it has not been decided what that 

 plant is, though more than half a dozen have been 

 suggested. It is not our Sison Amomum. 



Sisym'brium, Theophrastus. G. sisymhrion, Water Mint, a 

 name also given to several other plants, probabl}^, 

 among the rest, to some of this genus. 

 2Vio, Dioscorides. G., a name used by Dioscorides. 

 SophVa, Dodonseus. G. for wisdom. Gerard calls it 

 " Sophia chirurgorum," or the wisdom of surgeons, in 

 allusion to the high repute of the herb for healing 

 wounds and remedying some diseases. An absurd 

 officinal name. 



Sisyeinch'ium, Theophrastus. Jjr. name given to some 

 bulbous-rooted plant. 



Si'uM, Dioscorides. G. sion, the meaning is uncertain. 

 Gerard says of " Apium sylvestre, or Wilde Parsley" 

 (our Marsh Hog's Fennel, Peucedanum palustre) that 

 "oftentimes it is named Elioselinum and Slum," 

 almost seeming to infer that Sium is a contraction of 

 Selinum, or Parsley. Fuchs says that it means the 

 same as L. concussus (a shock or shaking), from G. 

 seio, I shake ; from the plant having attributed to it 

 medicinal properties similar to those of Saxifraga, 

 which see. 



Smilaci'na. Diminutive of Smilax, of Pliny, or Sarsapa- 

 rilla. Smilax was a [fabled beautiful shepherdess of 

 antiquity, who was reported to have been changed 

 into a plant. 



