31 



Ligusticum scoticum — Lovage. Gaelic : siinias, from sioii, 

 a blast, a storm, — growing in exposed situations. In the Western 

 Isles, where it is frequent on the rocks at the sea-side, it is some- 

 times eaten raw as a salad, or boiled as greens. 



Levisticum officinale ^ — Common lovage. Gaelic : liiib/i an 

 liugair, the cajoler's weed. It was supposed to soothe patients 

 subject to hysterics and other complaints. Irish : liis an 

 liagaire, the physician's plant, from which the Gaelic name is a 

 corruption. Welsh : dulys, the dusky plant. 



Meum athamanticum — Men, spignel, baldmoney. Gaelic: 

 viiiilccuiiii. Scotch : niickcn, — miiilceann,^ possibly from ;//////, 

 a scent; mulcidcachd, a bad smell (Shaw) ; <rm//;/, a head or 

 top. The whole plant is highly aromatic, with a hot flavour like 

 lovage. Highlanders are very fond of chewing its roots. 



Angelica — (So named from the supposed angelic virtues of 

 some of the species). 



A. sylvestris — Wood angelica. Gaelic : his Jiam b//ad/ia, the 

 plant having virtues or powers. Ciiinneog m/iig/ic, the whey 

 bucket. GaUuran, perhaps from gall (Greek : gala), milk, from 

 its power of curdling milk ; for this reason, hay containing it 

 is considered unsuitable for cattle. Irish: contran. Aiiigcalag: 

 angelica. 



Crithmum maritimum — Samphire. Gaelic : saimldiir, a cor- 

 ruption of the French name St Pierre (St Peter), from Greek, 

 Trérpa, a rock or crag. (The samphire grows on cliffs on the 

 shore). Gaelic : lus nan cnatn/i, the digesting weed ; cnàmh 

 (from Greek : yyaia ; Welsh : cnoi ; Irish : cnaoi), chew, digest. 

 The herb makes a good salad, and is used medicinally. Irish : 

 grioloigin, — griol, to slap, to strike, 



Peucedanum ostruthium — Great masterwort. Gaelic : inor 

 fhliodh (Armstrong), the large excrescence, or the large chick- 

 weed. 



P. officinale — Hog-fennel or sow-fennel. Gaelic : fincal sraide 

 (Shaw), — sraide, a lane, a walk, a street. This plant is not found 

 in Scotland, but was cultivated in olden times for the stimulating 

 qualities attributed to the root. 



^ Levisticum, from Latin, h~i'o, I assuage. 



- In Invernesshire, hricin or bricin dubh, perhaps from hri, juice ; or, as 

 mentioned in Lightfoot, vol. i. p. 158, as Sibbald says it grows on the banks 

 of the Breick Water in West Lothian, may not some native of the banks of 

 the Breick have given it this local name in remembrance of seeing it growing 

 on the banks of his native Breick ?—Fergusson. 



