THE GAELIC NAMES OE PLANTS. 



Ranunculace^e. 

 Thalictmm — {OaWw, f/ia//o, to grow green). 



Gaelic: ruz/i, rii, rtiisrh, \ t. , , , ,r t> * 



-J. . , ^ -1^ "^ ' > Rne (or plants resembling Ruta 



graveolens). See Gerard. 



T. alpinum. — Ru ailpeach : Alpine meadow-rue. 



T. minus. — Rii beg : Lesser meadow-rue. Rue is nearly the 

 same in most of the ancient languages \ said to be from pvw, 

 to flow ; Gaelic — ruUh, flow, rush ; their roots, especially 

 T. flavum^ possessing powerful cathartic qualities like rhubarb. 

 Compare also rii^ rtm, a secret, mystery, love, desire, grace. 

 Welsh : rima, hieroglyphics (Runic). The Thalictrum of Pliny 

 is supposed to be the meadow-rue. (See Freund's Lexicon.) 



" I'll set a bank of rue, sour hei-b of grace "—Shakespeare. 



" Mo run geal og ! " — My fair young beloved ovi^ ! 



*' Oir a ta sibh a toirt deachaimh 'a mionnt, agus a ru, agus gach uile ghne 

 luibhean, " — For ye tithe mint and r2ie, and all manner of herbs. 



The Rue of Shakespeare is generally supposed to be Ruta 

 graveolens {Rtl gharaidli)^ a plant belonging to another order, 

 and not indigenous. 



Anemone nemorosa — Wind-flower. Gaelic : plur na gaoithe, 

 wind-flower (Armstrong). Welsh : UysiauW gwynf, wind-flower, 

 because some of the species prefer windy habitats. Irish : 

 nead chailkach, old woman's nest. 



Ranunculus. — From Gaelic, ran; Egyptian, ranah ; Latin, 

 rana^ a frog, because some of the species inhabit humid places 

 frequented by that animal, or because some of the plants have 

 leaves resembling in shape a frog's foot. Ranunculus is also 



