NAMES OF PLANTS. 177 



on account of the little bladders that float the 

 plants. 



Vaccin'ium, Pliny. Probably altered from L. haccinia ; 

 denoting a plant with abundance of haccce, berries. 



MyrtiVlus. From L. myrtus, a myrtle ; little myrtle, on 

 account of the form of the leaves. 



Oxycoc'cos, Cordus. G. oxy, sharp, or acid, and coccos, a 

 berry. 



Vitis-Idce'a, Pliny. L., Vine of Mount Ida, a celebrated 

 mountain in Troas. 

 Valeeia'na. Said to be from L. valeo, I am powerful ; on 

 account of its medicinal effects : others have said 

 from Valerius, the name of several celebrated 

 Romans. Whatever the derivation may have been 

 the apothecaries of the middle ages seem to be 

 responsible for it. The G. name was PliUj equivalent 

 to our Faugh ! an expression of disgust, and to the 

 human sense it is certainly an ill-smelling herb, 

 though cats like it. Other names were numerous, 

 but the name of the shops was Valeriana domestica. 

 Valerianel'la, Columna. From some resemblance to 

 Valerian, of which name it is a diminutive. 



Auri^cula. L., a little ear. 

 Verbas'cum, Pliny. Supposed to be altered from Barbas- 

 cum, from L. harha, a beard; in allusion to the 

 shaggy nature of its foliage. 



BlattaWia, Pliny. From L. hlatta, a moth, or other 

 insect, which its leaves were supposed to collect. 



Lychni'tis, Linneus. From Lychnis, which see. 



Thap'sus. " Thapsus has been derived from Thapsus, in 

 Africa, near which place it is said to have formerly 

 abounded." Tapsus barbatus was the old officinal 

 name for Mullein. 



