XXXV 



ON STOCKS AND WALLFLOWERS 



BOTH of these perfumed flower-garden favourites shared 

 with Carnations the common name of Gilliflower (or 

 Gillyflower) in the Middle Ages. We have already seen 

 (Chapter VII I., Carnations) that Gilliflower is not, as 

 is commonly believed, a corruption of July flower, but 

 of caryophyllon or caryophyllus, and that the latter, the 

 generic name of the Indian Clove tree, is also the specific 

 name of the Carnation, having been given because of 

 the clove perfume of the flower. 



Although old-time gardeners called Carnations, 

 Stocks, and Wallflowers by the common name Gilli- 

 flowers, we can well imagine their finding it con- 

 venient to devise subsidiary names, and looking for 

 them in the habit of the plants. They would perceive 

 a natural distinction between a grassy plant like the 

 Carnation and a shrubby one like either of the others. 

 So they would draw upon the good old word " stock," 

 indicating a hard stem, for the Gilliflowers that were 

 not grassy. This would make both Stocks and Wall- 

 flowers Stock Gilliflowers, and a further sub-division 

 being desirable, they would bring in the word " wall " 

 to distinguish that member of the Stock Gilliflowers 

 which commonly grew on walls. Gillyflower (Burrow), 

 Gillowflower (Parkinson), Gillofre (Holland), Jereflouris 

 (Douglas), and Gillyvor (Shakespeare, "The Winter's 

 Tale "), are all variations of Gillyflower. 



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