32 JOUENAL OF THE EOYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Atropos, or Fate, to those who take it. Belladonna, again, in Spanish 

 " beautiful lady," refers to the fact that the ladies of Spain used it to 

 enhance their beauty. Injected into the eye, belladonna increased the size 

 of the pupils, and so caused the desired languishing look. 



And when we remember that the botanical name of the snowdrop 

 is the "snowy-milk flower," that the snowflake is the "white violet of 

 the spring," and that the Chionodoxa is the "glory of the snow," these 

 lovely spring flowers seem almost more beautiful. 



The ox-eye daisy is the Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum of botanists, 

 and this name means the golden-flowered white flower, referring to the 

 golden-yellow disc and white rays. Surely this is more descriptive and 

 true than ox-eye daisy, for, there is absolutely no resemblance in this 

 flower to the eye of the ox. 



The botanical name of the weeping willow is Salix hahylonica, and 

 though erroneous, it is not without interest. It seems to have been given 

 under the impression that it was the willow upon which the Israelites 

 hanged their harps by the waters of Babylon. But, in the first place, it 

 is almost certain that the tree upon which the harps were hung was a 

 species of poplar, which tree replaces the willow on so many Asiatic 

 rivers. In the second place, Salix hahylonica is known to be a native of 

 China. It is sometimes known as Pope's willow, having been cultivated 

 by that poet ; also as Napoleon's willow, because a tree of this species 

 overshadows his grave in St. Helena. The weeping willows of many 

 English gardens are reported to be grown from slips of this latter. 



Willow-wort, that is willow-plant, is not a willow, but a name for the 

 yellow loosestrife. The botanical name Lysimachia expresses the same 

 meaning as the English loosestrife, which is also alluded to in the line. 



So willoiv-wort makes wonted hate shake hands. 



Many botanical names enshrine those of botanists or plant-lovers, 

 who thus obtain what Horace desired, " a monument more lasting than 

 brass." 



In the fuchsia, for example, we honour the name of the German 

 physician and professor of medicine. Dr. Leonhard Fuchs. Fuchs, one 

 of the fathers of scientific botany, was born in Bavaria in 1501, and 

 attained some fame in the practice of his profession. Some two hundred 

 years later a new genus of plants was brought from the forests of Central 

 America : these were described by Plomier, and named by him Fuchsia 

 in honour of the great German botanist. It is said that Fuchs's 

 herbarium is still preserved in the South Kensington Museum. 



Camellia, again, recalls the name of George Joseph Camellus, a 

 Moravian Jesuit, who travelled in Asia and wrote a history of the plants 

 of the island of Luzon, one of the Philippines. In honour of his botanical 

 achievements Linnaeus gave the name Camellia to the rose of Japan. 

 His herbarium is also said to be in the South Kensington Museum. 



Linnaeus himself is remembered in the little pink sweet-scented 

 flower Linncea horealis, here found chiefly in Scotland. The great 

 botanist is said to have chosen this plant to bear his name on account 

 of some similarity between the plant and himself. It was named and 

 described by his friend Gronovius. Linncea horealis forms the device 



