A 17th century CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCOTTISH FLORA 39 



before writing his book in 1703. By the time the third edition of Ray's Synopsis was 

 published in 1724, Dryas was apparently known from a number of localities in the Scottish 

 mountains : " Hujus plantae speciminibus me ditavit D. Lhwyd, in montibus Hibernicis 

 juxta Sligo coUectis, quae et in omnibus altissimis Scotiae occidentalis montibus abundat, 

 ut mihi retulit idem." D. Lhwyd is almost certainly Edward Lhwyd, Ray's friend, who 

 visited Sligo in 1700 and sent Ray a collection of plants amongst \^hich.' Dryas is not 

 mentioned. However it seems likely that this note in the third edition was made by Ray 

 himself. This view is supported by the fact that it appears in brackets and not in the 

 small type used by Dillenius to distinguish his own additions from Ray's original work. 

 The note would have been made between 1700 and 1704 when Ray died. It is possible 

 that Ray knew of the existence of Dryas in Scotland before Martin published the fact 

 in 1703, though the latter's statement about its abundance is surprising. 



The mystery of who first found the plant growing on Ben Suardal and who told 

 Ray still remains. Martin may have written to , Ray or to the Royal Society, to which 

 he had already contributed a paper on Medicine in 1697, and to which he contributed 

 another in 1707. His knowledge of Ray's Synopsis and his deep interest in natural pheno- 

 mena may have led him to pass on his information, whether self-acquired or overheard. It 

 is just possible that Ray saw Martin's book before he died and made the note about Dryas, 

 but this alone cannot explain " abundat." 



Plants used for medicines in Skye and adjacent Isles 



Presumably wherever possible wild plants were used. Conium maculatum is not 

 recorded from v.c. 104 and it may have been cultivated or imported from the mainland. 



Violets 



Chickweed : Stellaria media 

 Foxglove : Digitalis purpurea 



Crowfoot : Any species of Ranunculus other than Batrachian accordnig to Lightfoot 

 (1777). 



Wild Garlic : Allium ursinum 



Carmel : Carmele, Carmeil, or Carmill. Lathyrus montanus 



Knaphard : Knapperts or Knapparts, from knab, a knob, and urt, wort, referring to 

 the rhizome of Lathyrus montanus. 



Wild Sage : No Salvia species is recorded from the Hebrides, but Lightfoot (1777) 

 refers to wood sage - Teucrium scorodonia : " An infusion of it stands recommended 

 in the dropsy." In Martin wild sage is used to kill horse worms. 



Shunnis : Ligusticum scoticum (see under North Uist). 



Myrtillus : Vaccinium myrtillus 



Plantain 



Flamula Jovis : Ranunculus flammula 

 Hart's tongue : Phyllitis scolopendrium 



Maidenhair : This is a name applied to many very different plants : Narthcciwn 

 ossifragum, Galium verum, Briza media, Cuscuta cpiLhymum, Glcchoma Jicdcracca, 

 Adiantum capillus-veneris, and species of Asplcniwn. The fact that it is mentioned 

 in the same sentence as Hart's tongue suggests a fern. Lightfoot (J 777) gives the 

 common name of Asplcnium spp. as Maidenhair. Adiantum capillus-veneris is not 

 found in V.C. 104 and it is therefore most likely that Martin was referring to a 

 species of Asplenium. 



Yarrow : Achillea millefolium 



Betonica Pauli : Veronica officinalis 



