166 OUR ROCK-GARDEN 



but more usually Moneywort." It is botanically 

 the Lysimachia Nummularia, the specific half of its 

 title again reverting to this suggestion of money. 

 From its trailing habit it is also sometimes known 

 as creeping Jenny. 



The moneywort is a plant that bears removal 

 from its sweet rural surroundings to the murk of 

 town better than most things, and many a window- 

 sill, amidst very grey and depressing surroundings, 

 is brightened by its long trails of living verdure and 

 golden blossoming, while its name Lysimachia, the 

 restrainer of strife, may be taken as of most happy 

 omen, for the men or women who retain a love 

 of Nature in their hearts are scarcely likely to be 

 the bullies and brawlers of their court or alley. As 

 Lysimachia was a plant-name bestowed by Diosco- 

 rides nearly two thousand years before our readers 

 were born, its identification with the moneywort, 

 and other plants of the genus to which it belongs, 

 may be regarded as at least doubtful ; but it is 

 certain that this, or possibly some entirely different 

 plant, was held in great repute in those far-off 

 days as a peace-bringer and healer of bodily and 

 mental suffering. Hence, too, in the mediaeval 



by our forefathers the crab-grass ; the vervain, or pigeon's 

 grass ; the plantain, or rib-grass ; the forget-me-not, or scorpion- 

 grass ; the cinquefoil, or five-finger grass ; the hemp, or 

 gallows-grass ; the rue-leaved saxifrage, or whitlow grass. 

 These by no means use up our possibilities of reference. 

 Our list is intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive. 



