2 5 

 MVRTACE^. 



Punica granatum — Pomegranate. Gaelic : gràu vbhal (s^rà//, 

 I.atin, granum), grain-apple. 



" Tha do gheuga mar Yxq^ gràn iihhlan, leis a'mheas a's taitniche." — SoNG 

 OF Solomon. 



Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits. 

 (Now generally y^ruXtn pomgranat in recent editions.) 



Myrtus communis — Myrtle. Gaelic : miorial. 



"An ait droighne fàsaidh an guithas, agus an ait drise fàsaidh am jnioiial." 

 — Isaiah Iv. 13. 



Instead of the thorn shall grow the fir, and instead of the briar, the myrtle. 



Onagrace^. 



Epilobium montanum — IMountain willow-herb. Gaelic: on 

 seikac/ian, diminutive of seilcach (Latin : salix^ a willow), from 

 the resemblance of its leaves to tiie willow. Welsh : hdyglys, 

 same meaning. 



E. angustifolium — Rosebay. Gaelic: scilcachan fraiigach, 

 French willow. Fcamainn (in Breadalbane), a common name for 

 plants growing near water, especially if they have long stalks. 



Circaea lutetiana and alpina — Enchantress's nightshade. 

 Gaelic and Irish : fiiinnseach. Not improbably from Irish ninn- 

 seac/i, playing the wanton — the reference being to the fruit, which 

 lays hold of the clothes of passengers, from being covered with 

 hooked prickles (as Circe is fabled to have done with her enchant- 

 ments) ; or fuinn, a veil, a covering. The genus grows in shady 

 places, where shrubs fit for incantations may be found. " Fuinn 

 (a word of various significations), also means the earth; and seach, 

 dry — i.e., the earth-dryer. Fuinnseagal (another Irish name), 

 from Seagal (Latin, secolc), rye — i.e., ground-rye " (Brockie). Li/s 

 na h'oidhnan, the maiden's or enchantress's weed. 



Lythrace.e. 



Lythrum salicaria — Spiked lythrum, purple loosestrife. 

 Gaelic : Ins an sith chainnt, the peace-speaking plant. 



" Chuir Dia oirnn craobh sith chainnt, 

 Bha da'r dionadh gu leoir." — Ian Lom. 

 God put the peace-speaking plant over us, 

 Which sheltered us completely. 



The name also applies to the common loosestrife, suggested 

 probably by the Greek Xwo-is /xaxT/, of which the English name 



D 



