55 



Galeopsis tetrahit— Common hemp-nettle. Gaelic: an gath 

 dubh, the dark bristly plant {gath, a sting, a dart). It becomes 

 black when dry, and has black seeds. 



G. versicolor — Large-flowered hemp-nettle. Gaelic : an gath 

 buidhe, — an gath inor, the yellow bristly plant — the large bristly 

 plant. Very abundant in the Highlands, and troublesome to 

 the reapers at harvest-time, from its bristly character. It is 

 called yellow on account of its large yellow flower, with a purple 

 spot on the lower lip. 



Stachys betonica— Wood-betony. Gaelic : lits bheathag, the 

 life-plant, nourishing plant (from Irish: beatha ; Greek: ^uara; 

 Latin : vita,—\\ÍQ, food). " Betonic, a Celtic word ; ben, head, 

 and ton, good, or tonic " (Sir W. J. Hooker). Biatas (from biadh, 

 feed, nourish, maintain). '' A precious herb, comfortable both 

 in meat and medicine " (Culpepper). Ghisair coille, the wood 

 green one. The green leaves' were used as a salad : any kind of 

 salad was called glasag. 



S. sylvatica — Wound-wort. Gaelic : his nan scorr, the wound- 

 wort {scon-, a cut made by a knife or any sharp instrument). 

 Irish : caubsadan. 



Prunella vulgaris — Self-heal. Gaelic and Irish : dubhan ceann 

 chosach, also diibhanuith. These names had probably reference 

 to its effects as a healing plant. " It removes all obstructions of 

 the liver, spleen, and kidneys " {dubhan, a kidney, darkness ; 

 ceann, head, and cosach, spongy or porous). Shin his, healing 

 plant. Lus a chridh, the heart-weed. Irish : ceanabha?t-beg, the 

 little fond dame; cean, fond, elegant, and ban, woman, wife, 

 dame. 



BORAGINACE/E. 



Borago officinalis — Borage. Gaelic and Irish: borrach, bor- 

 raist, borra/gh, all these forms are evidently derived from 

 borago, altered from the Latin, cor, the heart, and ago, to act 

 or effect. The plant was supposed to give courage, and to 

 strengthen the action of the heart ; " it was one of the four 

 great cordials." Borr in Gaelic means to bully or swagger ; and 

 borrach, a haughty man, a man of courage. Welsh : llaivenllys 

 {llawen, merry, joyful), the joyful or glad plant. 



Lycopsis arvensis — Bugloss. Gaelic : his-teang' an davnh, 

 ox-tongue. Boghis, corruption of bolg, an ox; his, a plant. Welsh : 

 tafod yr ych, the same meaning. Biigloss, from Greek fiov^, boiis, 

 an ox, and yÀwo-o-a, glossa, a tongue, in reference to the roughness 

 and shape of the leaves. 



