r 39 



Page 7. 



Nasturtium officinalis (Biolair) — Water cress. Though 

 unquestionably a Celtic name, yet we find it mentioned in a 

 curious treatise on the nature and properties of plants by Roy: — 

 "Billura, an herb that we clepeth Billure. . . . Some name 

 it yellow water cresses." The name has been corrupted to Belkrs 

 and Bilders. The Gaelic name for the winter cress is Treabhach 

 (O'Reilly). 



Page 9. 



Charlock — Marag bhuidhe, praiseach garbh. In some parts of 

 Ireland the old name Praiseach (Latin, Brassica), is corrupted to 

 Presha, presha bhwee. Threlkeld gives it as Praisseagh-buigh, also 

 Prassia is given. "The growing oat crop struggles with the 

 perennial thistle, dock, and prassia." — 'Pictures from Ireland.' 

 {Macgrath). 



Page 20. 



Trifolium — Clover. Seamrag — Shamrock. Botanists have long 

 disputed what plant furnished the Saint with so excellent an 

 illustration of the Trinity. The Dutch clover (TrifoZium repens) 

 and the Black non-such (Medicago lupulina) are most commonly 

 used. But the wood sorrel (Oxalis acelosella) was called Seamrag 

 by old herbalists, and was eaten and called Sourag, the sour one. 

 It is trifoliated, growing in woods where the priests taught their 

 mystic rights. Queen Victoria placed the Shamrog in her royal 

 -diadem in lieu of the French Fleur-de-lis. The four-leaved 

 shamrock was supposed to possess many virtues. 



" Seamrag nan duillean 's nam buadh, 

 Bu chaomh leam thu bhi fo m' chluasaig, 

 Nam dhomh cadal 'n am shuain." 

 Shamrock of leaves and virtues, 

 I would wish you to be under my pillow 

 On my falling asleep. 



Page 26. 

 Potentilla tormentilla — Bar-braonan-nan-con. Is one of the 

 ■commonest of our moorland flowers. It is perennial, and its 

 small yellow flower seems to follow one everywhere. In some 

 places the name leamhnach is corrupted to leanartach for that 

 reason. The root of the plant is the part used as an astringent, 

 and contains the tanning principle equal in quality to the oak bark. 



