OF BRITISH PLANTS. 



201 



Martyn's Flora Rustica, Saintfoin, in Hudson St. Foin, in 

 Plukenet Sainct-foin, and thence translated by some of our 

 old writers " Holy hay," but really formed from Fr. sain, 

 wholesome, andfoin, hay, L. sanum foemim, representing 

 its older name Medica, which properly meant " of Media," 

 but was misunderstood as meaning " curative." According 

 to Plukenet and Hill, the name was first given to the 

 lucerne, Medicago sativa, and that of lucerne to an 

 Onobrychis, our present sainfoin. There does not appear 

 to be any saint named Foin, nor any reason for ascribing 

 divine properties to this plant. According to Bomare 

 quoted by Duchesne, "Le S. est ainsi appele parceque c'est 

 le fourage le plus appetisant, le plus nourrissant, et le plus 

 sain, qu'on puisse donner aux chevaux et aux bestiaux." 

 Good reasons for a name follow of course. The equivocal 

 word Medica is undoubtedly the origin of this one. See 

 MEDICK. As at present applied, Onobrychis sativa, Lam. 



SAINFOIN,UI the Dictionary of Husbandry, 1717,lucerne, 

 which is explained as " Medick fodder, Spanish trefoil, and 

 Snail or Horned clover grass," Medicago sativa, L. 



ST. ANTHONY'S NUT, the pignut, from his being the 

 patron saint of pigs. " Immundissimas porcorum greges 

 custodire cogitur miser Antonius." Moresini Papatus, 

 p. 133. Bunium flexuosum, L. 



ST. ANTHONY'S RAPE or TURNEP, from its tubers being a 

 favourite food of pigs, Ranunculus bulbosus, L. 



ST. BARBARA'S CRESS, from its growing in the winter, 

 her day being the 4th Dec. old style ; or as the Grimms 

 explain the G. synonym barbel- or barben-kraut, " weil es 

 die barben im bach fressen," because the barbel in the 

 brook eat it, Barbarea vulgaris, DC. 



ST. BARNABY'S THISTLE, from its flowering at the sum- 

 mer solstice, the llth June, old style, now the 22nd, his 

 day, whence its Latin specific name, 



Centaurea solstitialis, L. 



