62 



R. sanguineus — Bloody-veined dock. Gaelic: a chopagach 

 d/iearg, the red dock. The stem and veins of leaves are blood- 

 red. 



R. alpinus — Monk's rhubarb. Gaelic : lus iia purgaid, the 

 purgative weed. A naturalised plant. The roots were formerly 

 used medicinally, and the leaves as a pot-herb. Welsh : arian- 

 llys. The same name is given for rue. 



R. acetosa — Common sorrel. Gaelic : samh., sorrel. Irish : 

 samhadh bo, cow - sorrel (for sain/i see Oxalis). Puinneag 

 (M 'Donald). Irish : puineoga. Name given possibly for its 

 efficacy in healing sores and bruises (a pugilist, puinneanach). 

 Sealbhag, not from sealbh, possession, more likely from searbh, 

 sour, bitter, from its acid taste. 



" Do shealbhag ^\z.\\ 's do luachair ^ 



A borcadh suas ma d' choir." — M'Donald. 

 Thy pure sorrel and thy rushes 

 Springing up beside thee. 



Sealgag (Irish, sealgan), are other forms of the same name. 

 Copog shraide, the roadside or lane dock. Sobh (Shaw), the herb 

 sorrel. 



R. acetosella — Sheep's sorrel. Gaelic and Irish : rua?iaidh, 

 the reddish-coloured. It is often bright red in autumn. Pluirin 

 seangan (O'Reilly), the small-flowered plant {pluran, a small 

 flower ; seangan, slender). Samhadh caora (O'Reilly), sheep's 

 sorrel. 



Oxyria reniformis — Mountain - sorrel. Gaelic and Irish : 

 sealbhaig nan jiadh, the deer's sorrel. 



Aristolochiace^:. 



Aristolochia clematitis — Birth-wort. Odiirin (see Cyclamen). 



Asarum europasum — Common asarum. Gaelic : asair 

 (M 'Donald), from the generic name, said to be derived from 

 Greek — a, privative, and o-cipa, bandage. The leaves are emetic, 

 cathartic, and diuretic. The plant was formerly employed to 

 correct the efl'ects of excessive drinking, hence the French, 

 cabaret. 



EmPETRACEvE. 



' Empetrum nigrum — Crow-berry. Gaelic and Irish : lus na 

 fionnag (Jionnag, a crow). Sometimes written fiannag, Jiadhag 

 {dearc jithich, raven's berry ; caor fionnaig, crow-berry), the ber- 



