written buttercups, possibly because of an idea that the yellow 

 color of butter was due to cows eating the flowers. 



CAMOMILE or CHAMOMILE, Greek chamai melon, earth apple, 

 from the smell of the flower. The Latin name of the apple, 

 Malus, is from the Greek melon. 



CENTAURY, CentauHum species, (already mentioned under 

 bonewort) is an old name applied by the herbalists to several 

 plants, from centum., hundred and aurum, gold-piece, because 

 of their supposed priceless medicinal values. 



CHESTNUT, Greek castana, a city of Pontus, where the trees 

 grew abundantly and whence they were introduced into Europe. 

 Castanets were so called because they were shaped like chest- 

 nuts, or possibly pairs of chestnuts were used at first to make the 

 clicking sound. 



CLEMATIS, from the Greek clema, a tendril or twig. The 

 name was used by Dioscorides for some plant with long slender 

 branches. 



COLUMBINE, from the Latin columba, a dove, perhaps from 

 the spurs or nectaries being beak-like, or like doves' heads. The 

 scientific name Aquilegia probably comes from aquila, eagle, 

 from a resemblance of the nectaries to talons. But Drewitt^ says 

 it is derived from aquilegus {aqua, water plus lego, carry) and 

 suggests that the spurs represent "five pigeons perched around 

 something out of which they are drinking." 



COWBANE, cow PARSLEY, COW PARSNIP, all poisonous Um- 

 belliferous plants. Probably the name comes from the verb 

 cow, to cause fear, but it may possibly be because the plants 

 poison cows that eat them. 



CRANBERRY, becausc the berries ripen in spring when the 

 cranes return, or, according to Murray, from the Gaelic crann, 

 a measure of capacity for fresh herrings. The name seems to 

 have been used by the American colonists and brought to Eng- 

 gland with the berries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) imported as 

 early as 1686. 



DANDELION, French dent-de-lion, lion's tooth from the ragged 

 teeth or lobes of the leaves. 



DAISY, Old English dayesye, the day's eye, open in the day. 

 The English daisy is Bellis perennis, our common daisy is the 

 English ox-eye daisy. 



' F. D. Drewitt, Latin Names of Common Plants, 1927. 



