BOTANICAL NAMES 61 



Cheiranthus (ki-ran-thus). G. " Cheiri " is the second 

 bot. name for the Wallflower. Cheiranthus, i.e., 

 11 Cheiri," " flower," is the bot. name for the Wall- 

 flower group. Alcock, in his " Botanic Names for 

 English Readers," says that " Kheyry " was the 

 Arabic name of a red-coloured sweet-scented flower. 

 The Greeks gave this name to the Wallflower. Per- 

 chance it had been introduced from Arabia. Any- 

 how, " cheiri " in Greek means a " hand." So 

 some one hunting- for the meaning of the G. name 

 said it was " Handflower," and so called because, 

 being sweet-smelling, it was carried in the hand. 

 This illustrates how difficult it is to find out how 

 and why flowers came by their name. (See Wall- 

 flower on this point.) 



Cheiranthoides (ki-ran-thoi-des). G. " Chreianthus " 

 and ** oides " (like); i.e., wallflower-like. Second 

 bot. name Treacle Mustard. 



Chelidonium (ke-li-do-ni-um). G. " Chelidon " (a 

 swallow. (See Celandine.) Bot. name for a group. 



Chenopodiaceae (ken-o-po-di-ase-e). G. " Cheno- 

 podium " and " aceus " (like). Bot. name for the 

 Goosefoot family. 



Chenopodium (ken-o-po-di-um). G. " Chen " (a 

 goose); " pous " (a foot); from the shape of the 

 leaf. Bot. name for a group Goosefoot family. 

 Some of the plants of this family were, in days of 

 old, much used as a vegetable, now replaced by 

 Spinach. 



Cherleri (cher-ler-i). Named after Cherler, the botanist, 

 who died 1610. Second bot. name Cyphel, Sand- 

 wort group. 



Cherry. See Cerasus. 



