THE GAELIC NAMES OF PLANTS. 



EXO GEN S. 



RANUNCULACEjE. 



Thalictrum. — (0a\\.<!)$, thallbs, a green branch). 



Gaelic : rugh, rii, ruigh, | Rue (or plants resembling Ruta 



Irish: ruibh, ) graveolens.) See Gerard. 



T. alpinum. — Rii ailpeach: Alpine meadow-rue. 



T. minus. — Ru beag. Lesser meadow-rue. Rue is nearly the 

 same in most of the ancient languages ; said to be from pvu>, tO' 

 flow; Gaelic — ruith, flow, rush; their roots, especially T. flavum, 

 possessing powerful cathartic qualities like rhubarb. Compare 

 also ru, run, a secret, mystery, love, desire, grace. Welsh: runa, 

 hieroglyphics (Runic). The Thalictrum of Pliny is supposed to 

 be the meadow-rue. (See Freund's Lexicon.) 



" Oir a ta sibh a toirt deachaimh a moinnt, agus a rii, agus gach uile ghn& 

 luibhean.' 1 — For ye tithes mint and rue, and all manner of herbs, 



Manx: yn lossery dy gkrayse. The herb of grace, used for 

 sprinkling holy water. 



" I'll set a bank of rue, sour herb of grace." — Shakespeare. 



The Rue of Shakespeare is generally supposed to be Ruta 

 graveolens (Ru garaidh), a plant belonging to another order, and 

 not indigenous. 



Hepatica. — Dike Aubrinn (Threl), dike is written for " Dtthean" 

 and Aubrinn for " Abraoin " April, the April flower. It blooms' 

 early in the Spring. 



Anemone nemorosa. — Wind-flower, Gaelic: pliir na gaoithe, 

 wind-flower (Armstrong). Welsh: Uysiaur gwynt, wind-flower 

 because some of the species prefer windy habitats. Irish : nead 

 caillich, old woman's nest. Nead is an alteration of the old 

 Irish neidh, the wind; and Cailleach, the first week in Spring — 

 then the wind flower begins to bloom. Manx: /us ny geayee, 

 wind wort. 



Ranunculus, — From Latin, rana, a frog, because some of the 



A 



