Geum rivale — Water avens.^ Gaelic: machall iiisge ; in Irish : 

 viacha, a head, and all^ all — />., allhead — the flower being large 

 in proportion to the plant. Uisge, water. It grows in moist 

 places only. 



G. urbanum — Common avens. Gaelic : niachall coillc, — coillc, 

 wood, where it generally grows. 



Dryas octopetala— White dryas. Gaelic : machall moiiaidh, 

 the large-flowered mountain plant. (The name was given by an 

 old man in Killin from a specimen from Ben Lawers in 1870.) 



Potentilla anserina — Silverweed, white tansy. Gaelic : bris- 

 gean (written also briosglan, brisleaii)^ from briosg or brisg, brittle. 

 Brisgean milis, sweet bread. " The brisgean, or wild skirret, is a 

 succulent root not unfrequently used by the poorer people in 

 some parts of the Highlands for bread" (Armstrong). 



The skirret (see Siu/n siscifum) is not native. The plant here 

 alluded to is Potentilla anserma. Bar b/irisgea/i^ the flower. 

 Welsh : torllwydd, from tori, to break. 



P. reptans — Cinquefoil. Gaelic : meangach, branched or 

 twigged, — mea/ig, a branch; because of its runners, its long 

 leaf, and flower-stalks. C/iig bhileac/i, five-leaved. Irish : cuig 

 mhear M/iitire, Mary's five fingers. Welsh : blysiiir pump, same 

 meaning. 



P. tormentilla — Common potentil, or tormentil. Gaelic : 

 leanartach (from leanar, passive of verb lean, to follow). So 

 common on the hills that it seems to follow one everywhere. 

 Bàrr braonan-nan-con, the dogs' briar bud. Braonan fraoch 

 {fj-aoch, heather). Braonan, the bud of a briar (Armstrong). 

 Braonan bachlag, the earth-nut (i)///////'/>'/y/tvv//i-'j7///^) (M'Donald), 

 from braon, a drop. 



" Min-fheur chaorach is bàrra-bhraonaii." ■ — M'iNTYRE. 

 Soft sheep grass and the flower of the tormentil. 



Irish : neamhnaid, a pearl (in Gaelic : ncoiiaid). A\'elsh : tresgl y 

 vioch. 



Comarum palustre — Marsh cinquefoil. Gaelic : cuig bhileacii 

 uisge, the water five-leaved plant. 



Fragaria vesca — Wood strawberry. Gaelic: snbh (or siith) 



1 Avens, a river, from the CeUic an. Welsh : az'on. GaeUc : ahJiainn. 

 Many river names in Europe and Asia are derived from this root — e.g., 

 Rhenus, the Rhine — reidh-aii, the placid water. Garumnus, Garonne — 

 garbh-mi, the rough water. Marne— ;««;/>/;-««, the dead water. Seine, a 

 contraction of seinth-an, the smooth water, &c. 



