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Petasites vulgaris — Butter-bur, pestilence-wort. Gaelic and 

 Irish : gallon ?7ibr, the big branch, possibly referring to its large 

 leaf. Greek : yaXaj/09, mast. Danish : gala/i, a stripling. 

 Fobal, more correctly ///■(^rt'/. Welsh: pabel, a tent, a covering. 



" Shidhich iad am ptha'//.'" — Ossian. 

 They pitched their tents. 



The Greek name, Trerao-os, a broad covering, in allusion to its 

 large leaves, which are larger than that of any other British 

 plant, and form an excellent shelter for small animals. 



Tussilago farfara — Colt's foot. Gaelic : cluas Hath, grey ear ; 

 gorm Hath, greyish green; duilliur spuing, the tinder-leaf. 

 " Cho tioram ri spuing.''^ 

 As dry as tinder. 



The leaf, dipped in saltpetre and then dried, made e.xcellent 

 tinder or touchwood. Gaelic and Irish : fathan or athan, mean- 

 ing fire. It was used for lighting fire. The leaves w'ere smoked 

 before the introduction of tobacco, and still form the principal 

 ingredient in the British herb tobacco. Gallan-greannchair 

 {gallan, see " Petasites ; " greann, hair standing on end, a beard), 

 probably referring to its pappus. Irish : cassachdaighe (O'Reilly), 

 a remedy for a cough {casachd, a cough ; aighe or ice, a remedy). 

 " The leaves smoked, or a syrup or decoction of them and the 

 flowers, stand recommended in coughs and other disorders of 

 the breast and lungs " (Lightfoot). Welsh : cam y ebol {earn, 

 hoof, and ebol, foal or colt), colt's-foot. 



Senecio vulgaris — Groundsel. Gaelic : atn bualan, from bual, 

 a remedy. Lus Phàra liath^ grey Peter's-weed, a name suggested 

 by its aged appearance, even in the spring-time. Latin : senecio. 

 Welsh : beti-felaji, sly woman. Sail bhiiinn {sail, a heel ; buinn, 

 an ulcer). " The Highlanders use it externally in cataplasms as 

 a cooler, and to bring on suppurations " (Lightfoot). Gninnasg 

 (from gruniid, ground ; German : grund). Welsh : grunsel. 



" Muran brioghar s'an ^;-;/««í7j-^ lionmhor."- — M'Intvre. 

 The sappy carrot and the plentiful groundsel. 



Irish : crann lus, the plough-weed. Buafanan na /i easgaran 



^ In Breadalbane, Glenlyon, and other places, the plant is called Lus 

 Phara Hath — 



" Liis Phara Hath cuiridh e ghoimh as a chraimh."' 

 The groundsel will extinguish acute pain in the bone — 

 it being frequently applied as a cure for rheumatic pains. 

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