35 



of various significations), also means the earth ; and seach, dry — 

 i.e., the earth-dryer. Fuinnseagal (another Irish name), from 

 seagal (Latin, secale), rye — i.e., ground-rye'' (Brockie); also fuinn- 

 seasgach. It grows in damp places, and has the reputation of dry- 

 ing the soil. Lus nan h-bighe, the maiden's or enchantress weed. 



Lythrace^e. 



Lythrum salicaria — Spiked lythrum, purple loosestrife. Gaelic : 

 lus na sith-chainnt, the peace-speaking plant. 



"Chuir Dia oirnn craobk slth-chainnt, 

 Bha da'r dionadh gu leoir." — Ian Lom. 

 God put the peace-speaking plant over us, 

 Which sheltered us completely. 



The name also applies to the common loosestrife. Irish : breallan 

 leana. Breall, a knob, a gland. It was employed as a remedy 

 for grandular diseases, or from thevappearance of the plant when 

 in seed. Breallan means also a vessel. The capsule is enclosed 

 in the tube of the calyx, as if it were in a vessel. Lean, a swamp. 

 Generally growing in watery places. 



Halorage^e. 

 Myriophyllum spicatum and alterniflorum. — Water-milfoil. 

 Gaelic and Irish : snathainn 'bhdthadh (from snath, a thread, a 

 filament ; and bath, drown), the drowned thread. It grows in 

 ponds, lakes, and marshy places, with thread-like leaves arranged 

 in whirls. The spiked variety ascends in the Highlands to 1200 

 feet. 



GrOSSULARIACEjE. 



Eibes, said to be the name of an acrid and prickly plant. 

 (Rheum ribes, mentioned by the Arabian physicians, a different 

 plant. Gaelic : spiontag, currant, gooseberry. Irish : spiontbg, 

 spin. Latin : spina, a thorn ; also spion, pull, pluck, tear away. 

 Welsh : yspinem. 



Eibes nigrum. — Black currant. Gaelic : raosar dubh, the 

 black currant. Preas nan dearc. The berry bush. Raosar 

 (Scotch, rizzar — from French, raisin ; Welsh, rhyfion ; Old Eng- 

 lish, raisin tree), for red currant. Latin : racemus, a- cluster. 

 Dyes brown. 



E. rubrum — Red or white currants. Gaelic : raosar dearg or 



