178 NAMES OF PLA.NTS. 



Vekbe'na, Pliny. Speaking of " Sagmen" and "Verbena" 

 Pliny saj's: "These two names no doubt originally 

 signified the same thing — a green turf torn up from 

 the citadel, with the earth attached to it, and hence, 

 when envo3's were despatched to the enemy for the 

 purpose of clarigation, or, in other words, with the 

 object of clearly demanding restitution of property 

 that had been carried off, one of these ofl&cers was 

 always known as the verbenarius,"— or bearer of the 

 verbena. The etj^mology of the name is dubious. 

 It has been said to be derived from Keltic ferfaen, 

 having the same signification as Saxifraga, which 

 see. The w^ord verhence (L.) signified generally 

 sacred boughs, or branches of trees that were used in 

 religious ceremonials ; hence it has been suggested 

 that it is a corruption of the two G. words, hiera 

 hotane, or sacred plant. 



Veroxi'ca or Veron'ica, Fuchs. A name of the middle 

 ages, the meaning of which is very uncertain. Loni- 

 cerus tells us it is called " after some king of France, 

 as Brunschwigius asserts." Others say that it is 

 called after the Saint of that name, and several more 

 derivations, rather ingenious than probable, have 

 been suggested from the Greek, Latin, Persian, and 

 Arabic. G., hiera, sacred, eicon, picture, seems the 

 most likely. 

 Beccahung'a, Dodonaeus. Changed from the German 

 name Bachbunge {hach, a brook, and hunge, a 

 bunch). The plant growing in brooks, in closely 

 matted bunches. 



ViBur/xuM, Yarro. The wayfaring tree is supposed to be 

 the Viburnum of Virgil. The derivation of the name 

 is uncertain. 

 Lanta'na, Dodonajus. Italian name for the wayfaring tree. 



