STITCH-WORT. 263 



STITCH-WOET. CHICKWEED. 



Stelldria. 



Welsh, Tafod yr edn. Irish, Fluigh. French, Mouron. Ger- 

 man, Huhnerdarm. Spanish, Alsine. 



LINNJEAN. NATURAL. 



Decandria. Caryophyllece. 



Trigynia. Stellaricce. 



Stellaria. 



THESE pretty little plants, very happily take their 

 Latin name from stella, a star, in allusion to the 

 silvery stars of their blossoms. But their English 

 appellation is not so pleasing; though it refers to 

 the very excellent, and very desirable property of 

 curing stitches in the chest or side, which this 

 plant, on not very evident grounds, is supposed to 

 possess. The name of chickweed, or, " chicken- 

 wort/' is founded on the alleged increase in the 

 number of eggs laid by hens which are supplied 

 with this plant in their food. But why the pretty 

 and well-known white star of our hedges in early 

 spring should be called deadmen's bones, in the north 

 of England, is not easily ascertained. The Welsh 

 name, To/or yr edn, signifies bird's tongue, and 

 evidently refers to the form of the leaves. 



The great stitch-wort, which is depicted in the 



