83 



Armstrong translates it "gewgaws" amongst the grass; but the 

 editor of "Sar-obair nam Bard Gaelach" — see his vocabulary — 

 gives deideagan, rib-grass, which renders the line intelligible. 

 Bodaich dhubha, the black men ; lus nan saighdearan, the 

 soldiers' weed, — children's names in Perthshire and Argyllshire- 

 This plant and the sea-variety. 



P. maritima, are relished by cattle, especially sheep, hence the 

 Welsh name: Bar cany ddafad, the sheep's favorite morsel; also, 

 Sampler y ddafad, the sheep's samphire, names applied to the sea- 

 plaintain. The Manx name for the Buckshorn plaintain is Bollan 

 Vreeshey, Bridget's wort {Bollan and bossan, wort). " Mie son 

 lhiettal guin " (good for staunching wounds). 



Paronychiace^e. 

 Herniaria glabra — Rupture-wort ; burst-wort. Gaelic and Irish : 

 lus an t-sicnich (Mackenzie), from sic, the inner skin that is next 

 the viscera in animals. "Bhrist an t-sic,'' the inner skin broke. 

 "Mam-sic," rupture, hernia. Not growing naturally in Scotland, 

 but was formerly cultivated by herbalists as a cure for hernia. 

 Mam, round hill, a breast. Latin : mamma, hence an ulcerous 

 swelling. A lotion made from this plant was a cure for such 

 complaints as well as for hernia. 



CHENOPODIACEjE. 



Amaranthus caudatus — Love-lies-bleeding. Gaelic : lus a' 

 ghrctidh, the love plant. Gradh, love. 



Spinacia oleracea — Spinage. Gaelic : bloinigean ghraidh. 

 Blonag, fat (Welsh : bloneg ; Irish : blanag) ; garadh, a garden. 

 Slap-chal (Macalpin) ; slap, to flap : cal, cabbage. Welsh : y 

 vigawglys 



Beta maritima — Beet, mangold-wurzel. Gaelic : bed's, bio/as. 

 Irish : biatas. Welsh : beatws (evidently on account of its feeding 

 or life-giving qualities). Greek : /3t'os. Latin : vita, life, food ; 

 and the Gaelic : biadh, feed, nourish, fatten. Cornish : boet. 



Suseda maritima — Sea-side goose grass. 1 Gaelic and Irish : 



Salicornia herbacea — Glass-wort. J praiseach na mara, 



the sea pot herb. Name applied to both plants. For praiseach, 

 see Crambe maritima. 



Atriplex hastata and patula — Common orache. Gaelic and 



