48 



by hard grass, scanty pasture, or other causes. The cows become 

 lean and weak, with their hind-legs contracted towards the fore- 

 feet, as if pulled by a rope" (Armstrong). This plant, in common 

 with others of this genus, acts as an excellent tonic ; its qualities 

 were well known in olden times. Welsh : crwynl/ys, bent-weed ; 

 cryfi, bend, curve. Gaelic : creamh, is given also as a name for 

 gentian. 



" 'N cieamh na chaiaichean, 

 Am bac nan staidhvachean." — M'Intvre. 



Which Dr Armstrong translates, "gentian in beds or plots." The 

 name creamh also applies to the leek. Creainh, hart's-tongue fern, 

 garlic, and elecampane. Welsh : craf, garlic. 



Erythrsea, from epvOpo-;, erythros, red flowers. 



E. centaurium — Centuary; red gentian. Irish: ceadharlach 

 (O'Reilly), the centaui-. It is said that with this plant Chiron 

 cured the wound caused by the arrows of Hercules in the 

 Centaur's foot. Gaelic, according to Armstrong : ceud bhileac/i, 

 meaning hundred-leaved, a corruption of the Irish name {Ceud, 

 Irish : ceadh ; Latin : centum, a hundred), — the origin of the name 

 being probably misunderstood. 



E. littoralis — Dwarf tufted centuary. Gaelic and Irish : dreim- 

 ire muire, the sea-side scrambler. Dreim, climb, clamber, scramble : 

 muire ; Latin : viare ; German : ineer, the sea. 



Chlora perfoliata — Yellow-wort. Gaelic and Irish : dreimire 

 buidhe, the yellow scrambler. Not in the Higlilands, but found 

 in Ireland, whence the name. 



Menyanthes trifoliata— Bog-bean, buck-bean, marsh trefoil. 

 Gaelic and Irish : ponair chapull, the mare's bean. (See Faba.) 

 Pacharaii chapull, the mare's packs or wallets, from pac, a pack, 

 a wallet, a bundle. Tribhileach, the three-leaved plant. Mill- 

 sean inoiiaidh, the sweet plant of the hill. 



' 'Millseincach, biolaireach sobhrach. " — M 'Lachuinn. 

 Abounding in bog-beans, cresses, primroses. 



" The Highlanders esteem an infusion or tea of the leaves as 

 good to strengthen a weak stomach" (Stuart). 



CONVOLVULACE/E. 



Convolvulus arvensis — Field bindweed. Gaelic : iadh his, 

 the plant that surrounds. (See Hedera helix.) 



0. sepium— Great bindweed. Gaelic and Irish: dull vihial 

 (Shaw), from did, catch with a loop ; and viial, a louse, — really 

 signifying the plant that creeps and holds by twining. 



