52 



rosemary, &c., used to adorn the altars, were included under the 

 term verbena " (Brockie). This will account for the name trom- 

 bhod being given by O'Reilly as "vervain mallow;" M'Kenzie, 

 " ladies' mantle ; " and Armstrong, " vervain." 



Labiate:. 

 (From Latin, labiiun., a lip, plants with lipped corollae.) Gaelic : 

 lusan Itpeach, or bileach. 



Mentha — (From Greek Miv^t;, nmithe. A nymph of that name 

 who was changed into mint by Prosperine, in a fit of jealousy, 

 from whom the Gaelic name mionnt has been derived.) Welsh : 

 myntys. 



Mentha sylvestris — Horse-mint. Gaelic : viionnt each, horse- 

 mint ; mionnt fiadhain, wild mint ; and if growing in woods, 

 miomit choille, wood-mint. 



M. arvensis— Corn-mint. Gaelic: mionnt an arb/iair, corn- 

 mint. 



M. aquatica — Water - mint. Gaelic : cairteaL Irish : cartal, 

 cartloin, probably meaning the water - purifier, from the verb 

 cartam, to cleanse, and loin, a rivulet, or Ion, a marsh or swampy 

 ground. Misimean dearg (Armstrong), the rough red mint. The 

 whole plant has a reddish appearance when young. 



M. viridis — Garden-mint, spear-mint. Gaelic: mionnt gha- 

 raidh, the same meaning; and meanntas, another form of the 

 same name, but not commonly used. 



"Oir a ta sibh a toirt an deachaimh as a mhionnt." — Stuart. 

 For ye take tithe of mint. 



M. pulegium — Pennyroyal. G^qWc : peighinn rioghail, the 

 same meaning. 



" Am bearnan bride 's ^ pheighinn-rioghail.^'' — M'Intyre. 

 The dandelion and \\-\q pennyroyal. 



Welsh : coluddlys, herb good for the bowels. Dail y gwaed, blood 

 leaf. 



Calamintha — Basil-thyme, calamint. Gaelic : calameilt (from 

 Greek, KaAos, beautiful ; and [LivBt], viinthe, mint), beautiful mint. 

 Welsh : Llysie y gdth, cat-wort. 



Rosmarinus oflB.cinalis — Common rosemary. Gaelic : ros 

 Mhiiire. Irish : ros-mar — mar-ros, sea-dew, corruptions from the 

 Latin {ros, dew, and marinus), the sea-dew. Ros Mhairi, Mary's 

 rose, or rosemary. Welsh : ros Mair. Among Celtic tribes rose- 

 mary was the symbol of fidelity with lovers. It was frequently 



