390 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



the plants that for a long time past have been re- 

 garded by the Irish as the true Shamrock, and 

 worn by them on St Patrick's day, are the Black 

 Nonsuch {Medicago lupulina) and the Dutch Clover ; 

 and these, but chiefly and almost exclusively the 

 first, are sold for the national badge in Covent 

 Garden as well as in Dublin. Intermixed with 

 them are several other species of the same two 

 genera {^Medicago and Trifolium), but no plant of any 

 other genus. Of late years, however, certain writers 

 have adopted Mr Bicheno's notion, and advocated 

 the claims of the Wood-sorrel {Oxalis acetoselld) 

 but certainly without the smallest shadow of reason. 

 As to the theory of the watercress, Dr Prior points 

 out that its leaf, not being trifoliate, could not have 

 been used by St Patrick to illustrate the doctrine 

 of the Trinity. But this story is of comparatively 

 modern date, and is not to be found in any life of 

 the saint. The late Dr Moore, of Dublin, a well- 

 known Irish botanist, agreed with Dr Prior that 

 the plant which for many years has been recognised 

 in Ireland as the true Shamrock is Medicago 

 lupulina. 



On the other hand, Messrs Britten and Holland 

 in their excellent Dictionary of English Plant 

 'Names (1878- 1886) state that at the present day 

 Trifolium mimis, L., is the plant most in repute as 

 the true Shamrock. It is this species, they say, 

 which forms most of the Shamrock sold in Covent 

 Garden on St Patrick's Day, and in Ireland it is 

 used as such in the counties of Antrim, Down, 

 Meath, Fermanagh, Dublin, Wicklow, Carlow, 



