95 



Alnus — Al (Sanskrit), to burn. According to Pictet, it is from; 

 alka, Sanskrit for a tree. 



A. glutinosa — Common alder. Gaelic and Irish : fearna — 

 fearna, French : verne. Welsh : gwernen (gwern, a swamp). It 



grows best in swampy places, and beside streams and rivers. 

 Many places have derived their names from this tree, Gleann 

 .Fearnaite. Fearnan, near Loch Tay ; Fearn, Ross-shire, etc. 

 Ruaim (O'Reilly) (ruadh, red), it dyes red. When peeled it is 

 white, but it turns red in a short time. The bark boiled with 

 copperas makes a beautiful black colour. The wood has the 

 peculiarity of splitting best from the root, hence the saying : — 



"Gach fiodh o'n bbarr, 's am fearna o'n bhun. '' 

 Every wood splits best from the top, but the alder from the root. 



A singular custom prevailed at funerals. " There were rods or 

 small branches of /earn stuck round the graves of the unmarried, 

 and of the married who had no issue ; with the distinction that 

 the bark was taken off for the unmarried." 



Betula alba — Birch. Gaelic and Irish : beith. Welsh : bedw, 

 seemingly from Latin Betula. Also the name of the letter B in 

 Celtic languages, corresponding to Hebrew Beth (meaning a 

 house). Greek: Beta. Generally written beith. 



" 'S a' bheith chubhraidh."— Ossian. 

 In the fragrant birch. 



The Highlanders and Irish formerly made many economical uses 

 of this tree, Its bark (meilleag or bUlleag), they burned for light, 

 smooth inner bark was used, before the invention of paper, for 

 writing upon, and the wood for various purposes. 



The badge of the Clan Buchanan. 



R. verrucosa — Knotty birch. Gaelic: beith carraigeach, the 

 rugged birch; beith dubh-chasach, the dark-stemmed birch. 



B. pendula — Gaelic : beith dubhach, the sorrowful birch (dubhach r 

 dark, gloomy, sorrowful, mourning, frowning). In Rannoch and 

 Breadalbane: Beith cluasach, the many (drooping) ear birch. 

 (Stuart). 



B. nana — Dwarf birch. Gaelic : beith beag (Fergusson), the 

 small birch. 



Castanea vesca — Common chestnut. Gaelic and Irish : chraobh 

 geanm-chnb. 



