4 PLANT NAMES 



He is also pleased to recognise the felicity of the 

 name Columbine, from columha, a dove, when he 

 sees the doves with arched necks and fluttering 

 wings clustered around its lovely bloom. 



There is still another way in which plants' names 

 convey useful instruction. I will explain it by two 

 illustrations. 



It is well known that most of our tree fruits come 

 to us from Southern Europe and the region surround- 

 ing the Mediterranean, and accordingly we find 

 their names derived from the Greek and Latin 

 languages. Such are the Peach, the Pear, the 

 Apricot, the Nectarine, the Damson, the Plum, and 

 the Prune. These are anghcized forms of the old 

 Greek and Latin names which have reached us after 

 passing through some Romance tongue — French, 

 ItaHan, or Spanish. There is, I think, but one 

 exception to this rule. The word " apple " is of 

 the Teutonic stock, and accordingly we find that 

 the Apple is the only tree fruit of any importance 

 that is indigenous to the north of Europe. The 

 same is true of forest trees. The Oak, Holm Oak, 

 Ash, Beech, Hornbeam, Yew, Hawthorn, Holly, 

 Aspen, Maple, Lime, Alder, and Elder all have 

 Teutonic names, indicating that they grew in 

 northern countries in ancient times. The names of 

 the Cypress, Elm, Chestnut, Poplar, Fig, Myrtle, Box, 

 Sycamore, Pine, and Larch are words of southern 

 origin, showing that these trees came from the south. 



This principle runs through the whole hst of 

 plant names, and, therefore, to know the region 



