56 



Myosotis palustris— Marsh scorpion -grass or forget-me-not. 

 Gaelic and Irish : cotharach, the protector {cothadh, protection) ; 

 perhaps the form of the racemes of flowers, which, when young, 

 bend over the plant as if protecting it. Lus nam mial, the louse- 

 plant, — probably a corruption from miagh, esteem. Lus midhe 

 (O'Reilly), a sentimental plant that has always been held in 

 high esteem. 



Symphytum oflacinale— Comfrey. Gaelic : meacan dtibh, the 

 large or dark plant. Irish : lus na ccnaiTih briste, the plant for 

 broken bones. The root of comfrey abounds in mucilage, and 

 was considered an excellent remedy for uniting broken bones. 

 "Yea, it is said to be so powerful to consolidate and knit to- 

 gether, that if they be boiled with dissevered pieces of flesh in a 

 pot, it will join them together again " (Culpepper). 



Echium vulgare — Viper's bugloss. Boglus (see Lycopsis) and 

 us na nathrach, the viper's plant. 



Cynoglossum officinale — Common hound's - tongue. Gaelic 

 and Irish: teanga con (O'Reilly). Teanga chii^ dog's - tongue. 

 Welsh : tafod y a, same meaning. Greek : cynoglossum {KV(i)v, 

 kyon, a dog, and yXoiaaa, glossa, a tongue), name suggested from 

 the form of the leaves. 



PlNGyiCULACE^. 



Pinguicula vulgaris — Bog- violet. Gaelic : brbg na cubhaig, 

 the cuckoo's shoe, from its violet-like flower. Badan measga?i, 

 the butter mixer ; badan, a little tuft, and measgan, a little 

 butter-dish ; or measg, to mix, to stir about. On cows' milk it 

 acts like rennet. Lus a bhaiime, the milk-wort. It is believed 

 it gives consistence to milk by straining it through the leaves. 

 Uachdar, surface, top, cream, — a name given because it was 

 supposed to thicken the cream. 



PRIMULACEyE. 



Primula vulgaris — Primrose. Gaelic : sobhrach, sobhrag. 



"A shobhrach, geal-bhui nam bruachag, 

 Gur fan-gheal, snughar, do ghniiis ! 

 Chinneas badanach, cluasach, 

 Maoth-mhin, baganta luaineach. 

 Bi'dh tu t-eideadh sa'n earrach 

 'S 'each ri falach an sul." — M'Donald. 

 Pale yellow primrose of the bank, 

 So pure and beautiful thine appearance ! 

 Growing in clumps, round-leaved, 



