7« 



plant. Abundant in the Highlands, and troublesome to the 

 reapers at harvest-time, from its bristly character. It is called 

 yellow on account of its large yellow flower, with a purple spot on 

 the lower lip. 



Stachys betoniea — Wood-betony. Gaelic : lus Bheathaig, 

 from beatha. Latin : vita, life food. " Betonic, a Celtic word ; 

 ben, head, and ton, good, or tonic ' (Sir. W. J. Hooker). Probably 

 the vettones of (Pliny), a Gaulish name. " A precious herb, com- 

 fortable both in meat and medicine" (Culpepper). Glasair choilk, 

 the wood salad. The green leaves were used as a salad : any 

 kind of salad was called glasag or glasair. 



S. sylvatica — Wound-wort. Gaelic: lus nan sgor, the wound- 

 wort (sgor, a cut made by a knife or any sharp instrument). 

 Irish : caubsadan . 



S. palustris — Cuslin gaun dauri (Threl), woundwort. The 

 woundwort got its English name from its wound-healing and 

 blood-stopping qualities. Most likely Threlkeld means Cuiskan 

 _gun dbruinn (the old Irish word dogra, anguish). Veins without 

 pain. Boys frequently use its leaves to stop bleeding and to 

 soothe pain. Welsh : Briwlys, woundwort. 



Prunella vulgaris — Self-heal. Gaelic and Irish : dubhan ceann 

 .chbsach, also dubhanuith. These names had probably reference 

 to its effects as a healing plant. "It removes all obstructions of 

 the liver, spleen, and kidneys " (dubhan, a kidney, darkness ; 

 .ceann, head, and cbsach, spongy or porous). Slan lus, healing 

 plant. Lus a' chridh, the heart-weed. Irish: ceanabhan-beg, the 

 little fond dame ; cean, fond, elegant, and ban, woman, wife, 

 ■dame. 



Boraginace^e. 



Borago officinalis- — Borage. Gaelic and Irish: borrach. bor- 

 raist, borraigh, all these forms are supposed to be derived from 

 borago, altered from the Latin, cor, the heart, and ago, to act 

 or effect. (But probably from Latin, burra, rough hair, which is 

 a characteristic of this family). The plant was supposed to give 

 courage, and to strengthen the action of the heart ; " it was one 

 of the four great cordials." Borr in Gaelic means bully or 

 swagger ; and borrach, a haughty man, a man of courage. Welsh : 

 llawenllys (llawen, merry, joyful), the joyful or glad plant. 



