OF BRITISH PLANTS. 199 



A run-wita was a private secretary, one who knew his 

 master's secrets ; and from the same word were derived 

 rynan, to whisper, runa, a whisperer, in earlier times a 

 magician, and run-stafas, mysterious staves. From this 

 last use of the word the name run came naturally to be 

 applied to the tree from which such staves were usually 

 cut, as boc to that from which bookstaves, bocstafas, 

 were made ; but it does not appear to be ascertained 

 why this tree should have been so exclusively used for 

 carving runes upon, as to have derived its name from 

 them, not only in the British isles, but in the Scandinavian 

 countries also. There was probably a superstitious feeling 

 of respect for it derived from ancient times. 



Pyrus Aucuparia, Gart. 



RUDDES, a name that should mean a red or ruddy flower, 

 and is hardly applicable in the present sense of the word 

 to a yellow one, such as the marigold, to which it is given 

 in early writers. But ruddy was formerly said of gold ; 

 and the author of the Grete Herball, in speaking of this 

 plant, says, " Maydens make garlands of it, when they go 

 to feestes and bryde ales, because it hath fayre yellowe 

 floures and ruddy." Calendula officinalis, L. 



and also Chrysanthemum segetum, L. 



RUE, L. ruta, its meaning unknown, 



Ruta graveolens, L. 



MEADOW-, or FEN-, from its rue-like much divided 

 leaves, and its place of growth, Thalictrum flavum, L. 

 ,, WALL-, Asplenium Ruta muraria, L. 



RUNCH, a word that in Scotland is applied to a strong 

 rawboned woman, as a " runchie quean," in reference, as 

 Jamieson thinks, to a coarse wild radish, the jointed char- 

 lock, so called from another meaning of the word runch, viz., 

 to crunch, Raphanus Raphanistrum, L. 



RUPTURE-WORT, from its fancied remedial powers, 



Herniaria glabra, L. 



