19 



Geum rivale — Water avens.^ Gaelic: machalluisgc; in Irish : 

 inacha^ a head, and all^ all — i.e.^ allhead — the flower being large 

 in proportion to the plant. Uisge^ water. It grows in moist 

 places only. 



G. urbanum — Common avens. Gaelic : machall coille^ — coille^ 

 wood, where it generally grows. 



Dryas octopetala — White dryas. Gaelic : machall tnonaidh, 

 the large-flowered mountain plant. (The name was given by an 

 old man in Killin from a specimen from Ben Lawers in 1870.) 



Potentilla anserina — Silverweed, white tansy. Gaelic : bris- 

 geaii (written also briosglan, hrislean)^ from briosg or brisg^ brittle. 

 Brisgean inilis, sweet bread. " The brisgeaii, or wild skirret, is a 

 succulent root not unfrequently used by the poorer people in 

 some parts of the Highlands for bread " (Armstrong). 



The skirret (see Slum sisamni) is not native. The plant here 

 alluded to is Potentilla anserina. Bar bhrisgean, the flower. 

 Welsh : torlhvydd, from tori, to break. 



P. reptans — Cinquefoil. Gaelic : meangach, branched or 

 twigged, — meang, a branch; because of its runners, its long 

 leaf, and flower-stalks. Ctdg bhileach, five-leaved. Irish : cuig 

 mhear Mhuire, Mary's five fingers. Welsh : blysiu'r pump, same 

 meaning. 



P. tormentilla — Common potentil, or tormentil. Gaelic : 

 leanariach (from leanar, passive of verb lean, to follow). So 

 common on the hills that it seems to follow one everywhere. 

 Bdrr braonan-nan-con, the dogs' briar bud. Braonajt fraocJi 

 ifraoch, heather). Braonan, the bud of a briar (Armstrong). 

 Braonan bachlag, the earth-nut {Bunium fiexuosuni) (M'Donald), 

 from braoji, a drop. 



" Min-fheur chaorach is barra-bhraonan." — M'Intyre. 

 Soft sheep grass and the flower of the tormentil. 



Irish : neatnhnaid, a pearl (in Gaelic : neonaid). Welsh : tresgl y 

 moch. 



Comarum palustre — Marsh cinquefoil. Gaelic : cnig bhileach 

 nisge, the water five-leaved plant 



Fragaria vesca — Wood strawberry. Gaelic: subh (or siUJi) 



1 AvenSy a river, from the Celtic an. Welsh : avon. Gaelic : abhainn. 

 Many river names in Europe and Asia are derived from this root — e.g., 

 Rhenus, the Rhine — reidh-an, the placid water. Garumnus, Garonne — 

 garbh-an, the rough water. '^TVLXVQ. — niarbh-an, the dead water. Seine, a 

 contraction of selmh-an, the smooth water, &c. 



