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Naiadace^. 



Potamogeton.- Greek : Trora/xo?, a river, and yeiTov, near. 



P. natans — Broad-leaved pond weed. Gaelic : duiliasg na 

 h'aibhne, the river leaf. Most of the species grow immersed in 

 ponds and rivers, but flower above its surface. Liobhag, from 

 liobh, smooth, polish, from the smooth pellucid texture of the 

 leaves, their surface being destitute of down or hair of any kind. 

 Irish: liachroda^ — liach, a spoon, rod, a water-weed, seaweed; 

 liach-Brighidey Bridget's spoon. Probably these names were also 

 given to the other species of pondweeds (such as P. polygon if oil us) 

 as well as to F. natafis. 



Zostera marina — The sweet sea -grass. Gaelic and Irish: 

 bilearach (in Argyle, bileanach), from bileag, a blade of grass. 

 The sea-grass was much used for thatching purposes, and it was 

 supposed to last longer than straw. 



Alismace^. 



Alisma. — Greek : aXto-/x,a, an aquatic plant ; said to be from 

 a Celtic root, alls, water. If ever this was a Celtic vocable it 

 has ceased to have this signification : in Welsh alls means the 

 lowest point, hell. 



A. Plantago — Water-plantain. Gaelic and Irish : co?--chopaig 

 {cor or cora^ a weir, a dam, and copag, a dock, or any large leaf of 

 a plant). It grows in watery places. Welsh : llyren, a duct, a 

 brink or shore. 



Triglochin palustre — Arrow-grass. Gaelic : barr a' inhilltich, — 

 *' Bun na cipe is bhi-r a' mhilltich.'''' — M'Intyre. 

 barr, top, and iniUtich (Irish), "good grass," and mi'lneach, a 

 thorn or bodkin — hence the English name arrow-grass. Generic 

 name from rpets, three, and yXwxt?, a point, in allusion to the three 

 angles of the capsule. Sheep and cattle are fond of this hardy 

 species, which afford an early bite on the sides of the Highland 

 mountains. Milltich is commonly used in the sense of " grassy;" 

 maghafia7i 7?iillteach, verdant or grassy meadows. 



Lemnace/E. 

 Lemna minor — Duckweed. Gaelic : ^ mac gun athair, son 

 without a father. Irish: liis gan aihair gan mhathair, fatherless 

 motherless wort. A curious name, perhaps suggested by the 



1 Mac-gun-athair may have originally been meacan air, — meacan^ a plant, 

 air, gen. of ar, slow (hence the name of the river "Arar" in France, 

 meaning the slow-flowing river, — '^^ Arar dubitans qui suos cursos agat " — 

 Seneca), the plant that grows in slow or sluggish water. 



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