The Common English Names of Plants. By Rev. H. N. 

 Ellacombe, M.A.— Pari I. Read March lOth, 1869. 

 I believe there is nothing that so much deters people from the 

 study of botany as the long, uncouth, barbarous names with which 

 BO many of our plants are burdened. They disgust the scholar by 

 their uncouthness and their apparent disregard of all grammar 

 and etymology, and they frighten the unlearned student by their 

 (to them) utter unmeaningness. It is no comfort to such to tell 

 them that all these names have a meaning, and in most cases an 

 expressive meaning; the obstacle is not thus removed ; there the 

 names stand, very often long, uncouth n^mes-sesqmpedaha verba- 

 often of no known language in themselves, yet of every known 

 language almost, too often stopping the inquirer at the very 

 outset, and barring his way to further progress into what he 

 thinks he has a right to call a dry and barren country. Yet it 

 is not all dry and barren, and in choosing for my subject this 

 evening " The Common English Names of Plants," I hope to 

 Bhow you that there is much in some plant-names of real interest ; 

 much of interest to the scholar, and much of poetry and legend 

 that will interest all inquirers. Let me however say at once that 

 though my paper is headed "The Common English Names of 

 Plants " it is by no means my intention to take you quite so long 

 a journey, as the title implies : that would well occupy some hours 

 instead of the twenty minutes to which, in pity to you, our Secretary 

 has limited me. My intention is simply to pick a few well known 

 flowers, and as I show them to you one by one, tell you some 

 points of beauty or interest that attach to their well-known 



names. 



And, as my time is so short, I will rush at once in medias res, 

 and pick for you the commonest, and almost the prettiest flower 

 that grows, the Daisy. We have not far to seek to find the origin 

 of the name. It was Chaucer's favourite flower, and he has told 



us all about it. He says — 



The long daie I hope me for to abide 

 For nothing else, and I shall not lie, 

 But for to lokin upon the daisie, 

 That well by reason men it calle maie 

 The daisie, or else the eye of the day 

 The emprise, and the flour of flours all. 



