OF BRITISH PLANTS. 173 



PALM, L. palma, Gr. TraXa//,?;, the palm of the hand, 

 from the shape of the leaf in the species most familiar to 

 Greek and Latin writers, the dwarf palm of the south of 

 Europe, a name given in England to the sallow with its 

 catkins in flower, from its branches having formerly been 

 carried in processions, and strown on the road the Sunday 

 next before Easter, in imitation of the palm leaves that 

 were strown before Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem. 

 A representative of the Eastern tree was required, and these 

 golden tassels presented themselves at precisely the right 

 season. Branches of the yew tree, on account of its leaves 

 being green at this season, were also used. In an old 

 sermon on Palm Sunday, quoted by Hampson, (ii. 300) 

 the account of it is as follows : " pan Ihu yode towerde 

 Jerusalem, and }>e pepul brokon brawnches of olyfe and of 

 palme and keston in ]>Q way, &c., but for encheson we have 

 non olyfe >at bereth grene leves, we takon in stede of hit 

 hew and palmes wyth, and bereth abowte in procession." 

 (Cott. MS. Claud. A. 11. fo. 52.) This was the ancient 

 usage in Scotland, as described by Sir Walter Scott in his 

 Castle Dangerous : " Several of the Scottish people, bear- 

 ing willow branches, or those of yew, to represent the palms 

 which were the symbol of the day [Palm Sunday] were 

 wandering in the churchyard." It was the custom also in 

 East Kent, according to Evelyn's Sylva; in Dorsetshire 

 (Notes and Queries, 3 S. vii. p. 364) ; and in Ireland ; and 

 the yew-tree which, as well as the willow, was popularly 

 called " Palm," was planted in churchyards to supply 

 boughs for these occasions. 



Salix caprea, L., and Taxus baccata, L. 



PALSY-WORT, L. Herba paralyseos, from its supposed 

 power to cure the palsy, the cowslip, Primula veris, L. 



PANCE or PAUNCE, see PANSY. 



PANICK-GRASS, L. panicum, which Pliny says was "a 

 paniculis dictum," so called from its panicles. The word 



