oxALis, Greek oxus, sour, as the leaves contain oxalic acid. 

 The acid, incidentally, gets its name from the plant. The name 

 SORREL applied to both Oxalis and Rumex Acelosella is from the 

 French sur, sour. 



PENNYROYAL, Mentha Pulegium in Europe, Iledeoma pule- 

 gioides in America. A corruption of the Old English puliall 

 royal, derived from the Latin pulex, a flea (note too the specific 

 names of the two species). The name means good against fleas. 



PRIMROSE, Latin primus, first, the first flower of spring. Our 

 evening primrose, blossoming in late summer, is certainly mis- 

 named. 



RASPBERRY, Old English raspe, a rasp or coarse file, from the 

 prickly stem. 



SAGE, Old English sauge, from the Latin salvia (the scientific 

 as well as the original common name of the plant) from salvus, 

 saved in allusion to its reputed healing qualities. 



S.\MPIRE, French, I'herbe de Saint Pierre. Any species of 

 glasswort, Salicornia. glasswort because Salicornia and Sal- 

 sola were burned to obtain soda ash for glass making. 



Solomon's seal, the scars on the rootstocks left by the aerial 

 stems of past years suggest the marks made in wax with a seal 

 or signet. 



SHADBUSH, flowers when the shad are running, or going up 

 stream to spawn. Also called juneberry because the fruit ripens 

 in June, and serviceberry from the Old English serves, berries. 

 In Europe serviceberry is the name for several species of Pyrus, 

 but in America the closely related Amelanchier . 



SQUASH, a Massachusetts Indian name, asq, plural asquash, 

 raw or green, applied to vegetables eaten before ripe. 



TE.\SEL, Anglo-Sa.xon taesan, to pluck or tease, because one 

 species, Dipsacus fullorum, with hooked bracts was used in 

 teasing or raising the nap on woolen cloth. 



New York City 



