OF BRITISH PLANTS. 133 



LAUREL, ROMAN-, from its being used in the chaplets worn 

 by the Roman emperors, the sweet bay, Laurus nobilis, L. 



LAURESTINE, or more commonly LAURESTINUS, L. laurus 

 tinus, from being regarded as a laurel, and as the shrub 

 described by Pliny, and by Ovid (Met. x. 98), under the 

 name of Tinus, Viburnum Tinus, L. 



LAVENDER, by change of I to r from Du. and G. lavendel, 

 It. lavandola, M. Lat. lavendula, from lavare, wash, as 

 being the plant used to scent newly-washed linen, whence 

 the expression of " laid up in lavender ;" or, as Diez tells 

 us, from its being used at the baths in washing the body. 

 In support of this last opinion C. Stephan tells us (De re 

 hort. p. 54) : " Lavendula autem dicta quoniam magnum 

 vectigal Genuensibus prabet in Africam earn ferentibus, ubi 

 lavandis corporibus Lybes ea utuntur, nee nisi decocto ejus 

 abluti mane domo egrediuntur." Lavandula Spica, L. 

 SEA-, Statice, L. 



LAVER, A.S. Icefer, L. laver, a name given by Pliny to 

 some unknown aquatic plant, now applied to certain escu- 

 lent sea-weeds, as Porphyra laciniata, Ag. 

 and Ulva latissima, Grev. 



LEEK, a remnant of A.S. porleac, from L. porrum, and 

 leac, a plant, G. lauch, Du. look, Allium Porrum, L. 



LENT-LILY, the daffodil, from the season of flowering, 

 the spring, A.S. lencten, O.H.G. lenzo, 



Narcissus Pseudonarcissus, L, 



LENTILS, Fr. lentille, Ervum Lens, L. 



LEOPARD'S BANE, Gr. TrapSaXiaryxw from TrapSaXis, a 

 pard, and o7%&>, choke, the name of some poisonous plant, 

 which Nicander says in his Theriaca was used on Mount 

 Ida to destroy wild beasts, transferred by Turner to the 

 trulove, a very innoxious one, Paris quadrifolia, L. 



LETTUCE, L. lactuca, from Gr. ya\a, yaka-cros, milk, and 

 e'^o), contain, through lattouce, an older form of the word 

 that is still retained in Scotland, L. sativa, L. 



