IOO SCOTCH NAMES OF NATIVE WILD FLOWERS. 



names, means a bend or a curve, and the name is given the plant 

 from the rounded shape of the floating leaves. 



Chasbol, chesbol, or chesbowe. C/ias or ekes is a cheese, and 

 bol or bowe is round. The plant so named is the poppy (Papaver), 

 and the round cheese is really the seed-vessel. 



Cockrose is the red poppy (Papaver Rhceas). It might puzzle 

 one to find out the connection of the plant with the cock, but the 

 Northumbrian name coprose solves the difficulty. Coprose is 

 cuprose — rose because it is red (the original meaning of rose being 

 red), and cop or cup from its shape. Cockrose is the Scotch 

 corruption of the North of England word. 



Dandelion (Leontodon Taraxacum) is the French dent-de-lion, 

 the tooth of the lion, from some imaginary resemblance between 

 the two. 



Mekilwort is the deadly-nightshade (Atropa Belladonna). The 

 word mekil or muckle means, first, great in size; and next, great 

 in influence and power. This was the flower much in favour 

 with witches, sorcerers, and the powers of darkness in general, 

 and it was used by them in all their important enchantments. 

 No deil's broth was properly brewed and seasoned without a spice 

 of the deadly mekilwort. 



Bolgan leaves is the nipplewort (Lapsana communis). Bolga 

 means a swelling, and is from the same root as the word bulge. 

 The plant was considered a remedy for swellings. 



Dishilago is the colt's-foot (Tussilago Farfara). The Scotch 

 name is remarkably near the Latin and Greek name tussilago, 

 and means a driver away of coughs. 



Fews, or fouets, is the house-leek (Sempervivum tectorum). 

 The North of England name is feys, and both names are derived 

 from the Saxon verb fegan, to clean. The verb " to fey " is still 

 used in provincial English, but only in connection with the word 

 ditch — to fey a ditch means to clean a ditch. The leaves of this 

 plant, as well as those of other Sedums, orpine or orpie (Sedum 

 Telephium) to wit, were and still are much used for cleaning 

 wounds. 



Kerses, or wall-kerses, is the water-cress (Nasturtium officinale). 

 The Anglo-Saxon word is caerse. 



Water-purpie is Veronica Beccabioiga. Pur is pure, and pie, or 

 bie, is a contraction for beck, a brook. Purpie means the purifier 



