CRUCIFERyE. 



(From Latin crux, crucis^ a cross, and fero, to bear, the petals 

 being arranged crosswise.) 



Crambe maritima — Seakale. Gaelic : praiseag trdgha, the 

 shore pot-herb, — from the Irish praiseach, Gaelic praiseag^ a 

 little pot (a common name for pot-herbs). Cal na uidra, sea- 

 kale (from Greek, xavXos; Latin, cmdis ; German, /^^///; Saxon, 

 catvl ; English, cole or kale ; Irish, cdl ; Welsh, cawl.) 



Isatis tinctoria — Woad. The ancient Celts used to stain 

 their bodies with a preparation from this plant. Its pale-blue 

 hue was supposed to enhance their beauty, according to the 

 fashion of the time. Gaelic : guirmean^ the blue one. Irish 

 and Gaelic : glas lus^ pale-blue weed. Welsh : glas lys. For- 

 merly called Glastum. 



''Is g/as mo luibh."— OssiAN. 

 Pale-blue is the subject of my praise. 



On account of the brightness of its manufactured colours the 

 Celts called it gwed (giiede in French to this day), whence the 

 Saxon toad and the English woad. 



Thlaspi arvense — Penny-cress. Gaelic : praiseach feidh, deer's 

 pot-herb. Irish : preaseach fiadh^ a deer's pot-herb. 



Capsella Bursa-pastoris — Shepherd's purse. Gaelic : his na 

 fola, the blood-weed ; an sporran^ the purse. Irish : sraidin, a 

 lane, a walk. Welsh : purs y bugail, shepherd's purse {biigail, 

 from Greek (3vko\o<;, a shepherd). 



Cochlearia of5.cinalis — Scurvy -grass. Gaelic : a maralc/t, 

 sailor; carran, the thing for scurvy, possessing antiscorbutic 

 properties. " Plaigh na carra,^^ the plague of leprosy (Stuart). 

 ^'' Duine aig am bheil carr,'' a man who has the scurvy (Stuart 

 in Lev.) Welsh: mor luyau, sea-spoons; llysie'r bhig, scurvy- 

 grass (from blwg, scurvy). Irish : biolair trdgha, — biolair, dainty, 

 and trdgha, shore or seaside. 



Armoracia rusticana (armoracia, a name of Celtic origin, — from 

 ar, land ; mor or ??iar, the sea ; m, near to, — a plant growing 

 near the sea). English : horse-radish. Gaelic : meacan-each, the 

 horse-plant. Irish : racadal, perhaps from an old word rac, a 

 king, a prince, and adhal, desire — i.e., the king's desire. 



Raphanus raphanistrum — Radish. Gaelic : meacan riiadh, the 

 reddish plant, from the colour of the root. Irish : fiadh roidis, 

 wild radish. 



