BRITISH ORCHIDS 



The British Orchids are called Bee, Spider, Fly, and Hang- 

 ing-man Orchids, because of a fancied resemblance to their 

 namesakes. Dancing-girls {Mantisid) was so called from a 

 certain resemblance of the flower to a columbine. The true 

 Columbine (Aquilegia) was so called because of a resemblance 

 which some one saw to a circle of little doves with wings 

 seated on a circular well. 



The greatest objection to popular names, however, lies in 

 their being so indefinite. Entirely different plants are 

 known by the same name, and also in different parts of the 

 country totally different names are given to the same plant. 

 All such difficulties disappear if one takes the trouble to 

 learn the Latin names. 



These also are often quite pretty. Luzula, Veronica (with 

 its pretty legend), Mimulus (the little monkey), Circaea 

 (Enchanter's Nightshade), Senecio {the old man, from its 

 woolly head of fruits), Nymphea, Naias, Carlina {the old idtch\ 

 and so on, are quite as pretty and as nice as Mugwort, Devil- 

 in-a-bush. Hairy Rock Cress, and the rest. One curious 

 result of the use of popular names is seen in the Biblical 

 names of plants. The Rose of Sharon seems most probably 

 to have been Narcissus Tarzetta, and not a rose at all. As 

 regards the IJlies of the Field, Mr. Ridley has the following 

 remarks. The Hebrew word Shushan was a generic name 

 given to a mixture of flowers, exactly as we now talk of 

 ferns, herbs, or grass. The Sermon on the Mount was 

 preached near the plain of Gennesaret, and there flourish 

 the Anemone {Anemone coronaria), Ranunctdus asiaticus, and 

 Adonis aestivalis and Jlammea, which are exactly of the 

 same colour and follow each other in close succession. This 

 word Shushan is the original of the Christian name Susannah 

 or Susan. The Arabic name for Anemone coronaria is Susan. 



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