OF BRITISH PLANTS. 95 



that is not uncommon in provincialisms, as for instance in 

 the case offape and thape. Galium Aparine, L. 



GOOSE-TANSY, a plant with tansy-like leaves, which Kay 

 says is called so " because eaten by geese;" but perhaps 

 like crow's garlick, swine's cress, and dog's mercury, the 

 name may imply merely a tansy for a goose, a spurious 

 tansy. Potentilla anserina, L. 



GOOSE-TONGUE, from its finely serrated leaves, 



Achilla Ptarmica, L. 



GORSE, A.S. gorst, Wei. gores or gorest, a waste, M.Lat. 

 gorassi or gorra, brushwood, used in Stat. Montis reg. p. 

 236 : " salicum, gorrarum et gorassorum non portantium 

 fructus comestibiles." Ulex europaBus, L. 



GORY-DEW, from its resemblance to blood drops, 



Palmella cruenta, Agh. 



GO-TO-BED-AT-NOON, from its early closing, the goat's 

 beard, Tragopogon pratensis, L. 



GOURD, Fr. gourde, from gougourde, L. cucurbita, 



C. Pepo, L. 



GOUT IVY, M.Lat. Iva arthritica, from being, as Parkin- 

 son says, "powerful and effectual in all the pains and 

 diseases of the joints, as gouts, cramps, palsies, sciatica, 

 and aches," the ground pine, Ajuga Chamsepitys, L. 



GOUT-WEED, or GOUT-WORT, from its supposed virtues in 

 gout cases, ^Egopodium Podagraria, L. 



GOWAN, a north country word, usually derived from 

 Gael, gugan, a bud, a flower, but clearly a corruption of 

 gowlan, the Scotch form of gulden, as we see in the names of 

 the troll-flower, which is called indifferently Lucken-^0*w 

 -gollond, or -gowlan, and Witch's gowan. Of. gawn, a gallon 

 measure, a milk-pail, in The Derby Earn. (Halliwell). 

 In the glossaries it is usually explained as meaning merely 

 " the daisy ;" but appears in different parts of Scotland to 

 be applied to the various buttercups, and the marsh- 

 marigold, the dandelion, the hawkweeds, the corn-marigold, 



