THE GAELIC NAMES OF PLANTS. 



Ranunculacete. 

 Thalictrum — {OaXXoj, thallo, to grow green). 



Gaelic: rus:h. rii, ruis;h, ) -r, / i ^ , ,• r, . 



-J- . , ^ .,^ ' ' \ -^"^ (or plants resembling y?///iz 



graveolens). See Gerard. 



T. alpinum. — Rú ailpeach : Alpine meadow-rue. 



T. minus. — Jííí beg : Lesser meadow-rue. Rue is nearly the 

 same in most of the ancient languages ; said to be from puw, 

 to flow ; Gaelic — ruiih, flow, rush ; their roots, especially 

 T. flaviim, possessing powerful cathartic qualities like rhubarb. 

 Compare also ru, rtin, a secret, mystery, love, desire, grace. 

 Welsh : runa, hieroglyphics (Runic). The Thalictrum of Pliny 

 is supposed to be the meadow-rue. (See Freund's Lexicon.) 



" I'll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace" — Shakespeare. 

 " Mo rhii geal og ! " — My fair young beloz'ed one ! 

 " Oir a ta sibh a toirt deachaimh 'a mionnt, agus a rfi, agiis gach uile ghnè 

 luibhean." — For ye tithe mint and rue, and all manner of herbs. 



The Rue of Shakespeare is generally supposed to be Ruia 

 graveolens {Rii g/iaraid/i), a plant belonging to another order, 

 and not indigenous. 



Anemone nemorosa— Wind-flower. Gaelic : plùr na gaoit/ie, 

 wind-flower (Armstrong). Welsh : l/ysiau'r gwy?it, wind-flower, 

 because some, of the species prefer windy habitats. Irish : 

 7}ead c/iail/each, old woman's nest. 



Ranunculus. — From Gaelic, ran; Egyptian, ranah ; Latin, 

 rana, a frog, because some of the species inhabit humid places 

 frequented by that animal, or because some of the plants have 

 leaves resembling in shape a frog's foot. Ranunculus is also 



