December, 1920 
202 
Plant Names and Their Meanings. 
[Continued from page 196. ] 
coarse, common, or spurious. It is often thus 
employed in flower names, as Horse-mint and 
Horse-radish. 
The names Blister Flower, Blister Wort, 
Blister Plant and biting Crowfoot are applied 
to several species noted for their acrid and 
biting juice, especially R. sceleratus, R. bttlbo- 
sus and R. acris. The name of St. Anthony’s 
Turnip, applied to R. bttlbosits, probably has the 
same suggestion. The bulbous base of the 
stem is not unlike a Turnip in shape and St. 
Anthony is the saint above all others for 
which hot and blistering things might prop- 
erly be named. This species is also called St. 
Anthony’s Rape. Ranunculus sceleratus is 
called Water Celery and Celery leaved Crow- 
foot, but in reference to its leaves and not as 
a translation of the specific name. The 
worthless properties of this species have 
earned for it the name of Cursed Crowfoot, 
but it is apparently not the only species cursed 
for R. arvensis bears the names of Hell Weed 
and Devil’s Claws. To this species also be- 
long Starve Acre and Hunger Weed. The 
plant is said to receive the last two appella 
tions because when it is present in the field 
the crop will be short and the owner brought 
to want. Devil’s Claws quite likely refers to 
the way the plant lays hold on the field rather 
than to any particular thought of the devil. 
R. repens is called Ram’s Claws though no 
ram we have ever seen had claws. Possibly 
the name is derived from the Icelandic ramr, 
meaning strong, in allusion to the way the 
species grasps the soil. Sitfast is another 
name applied to this plant whose hold on the 
soil makes it especially applicable. 
Ranunculus ficaria is called Figwort from 
the fig-like shape of its roots. It also bears 
the name of Lesser Celandine, the true Cel- 
andine being a yellow-flowered plant of the 
Poppy family. Another of its names, Crain, 
is unmeaning enough until we discover that 
crain or cran is an ancient name for marsh, 
hence Cranberry and perhaps Crane, a stork- 
like bird. Ranunculus trichophyllus, owing to 
its much divided leaves is known as Water 
Milfoil. The true Milfoil is usually regarded 
as belonging to the Yarrow genus (Achillea). 
Double forms of R. acris are sometimes known 
as Bachelors’ Buttons, as are many other 
buttonlike flowers. Finally, Cuckoo-buds 
applied to some species of Ranunculus finds 
authority in Shakespeare where 
“Cuckoo buds of yellow hue 
Do paint the meadow with delight.’’ 
The Poinsettia. 
As a relative newcomer, the Poinsettia is fast 
edging its way to the front as a favorite Christ- 
mas flower and the florists’ shops and side- 
walk stands are putting forward the brilliant 
scarlet flower as one of the most popular gift 
plants. Of ancient origin, for its history is 
traceable all the way back to King Juba, of 
Mauretania, after whose court physician the 
species is named, it jumped from Morocco to 
Mexico and made its way into the United 
States less than a hundred years ago. 
The popular name of the Poinsettia is not 
known in botanical literature, but because 
Joel R. Poinsett, Charleston’s celebrated poli- 
tician and statesman, first introduced it to 
the Palmetto State, it has borne his name in 
the trade. While minister to Mexico during 
the administrations of Monroe and Adams, 
Poinsett perceived the beauty of the plant. 
Bringing it home, he started its cultivation, 
interested the florists and botanists of the 
South and it at once became popular. While it 
is still largely regarded as a household plant in 
the North, in the South many bungalows and 
cottages are surrounded by borders of flam- 
ing Poinsettias which add a touch of lively 
color to the lawns. — Philadelphia Bulletin. 
Slower <&row<n 
[ The Gladiolus 
Experiments With Gladiolus Cormels, 
“Buds” of Corms, and Corms Cut in Pieces. 
BY CHAS. E. F. GERSDORFF. 
[ Written expressly for The flower Grower. ] 
All cormels on hand at beginning of season of 1919 were carefully peeled and 
planted in paper pots in flats and kept in sunny windows. The per cent, of 
germination and per cent, of corms harvested with dates when first and last 
showed growth are given in Table I : 
GERMINATION OF PEELED CORMELS. 
Variety 
Annie Wigman .... 
Augusta 
Aurora 
Avalon 
Bo peep 
Belle Alliance 
Blood Spot 
Barclay 
Blue Orchid 
Challenger 
Crinkles 
Crystal White- 
Cameo 
Cardisun — 
Cinnamon Bear 
Comanche 
Delight __ 
Evelyn Kirtland ... 
Fire King 
Freckles 
Golden King 
Gretchen Zang 
Giant White 
Gil Bias 
Golden Glory _ _ _ 
Ida Van 
Jenny Lind 
King of Violets 
Large Buff 
La Luna __ 
Louise 
Lady Janet 
Mrs. W. E. Fryer 
Mary Pickford 
May Toy (Prim.) 
Mary Fennell .' 
Magic 
Mahogany 
Morning Star 
Owosso 
Princess of Orange 
Pride of Goshen 
Pacha 
Pride of Lancaster - _ 
Peachblow 
Purple Pansy 
Rose Glory 
Rose Wells 
Rosy Morn 
Rosebud 
Splendorra 
Souvenir 
Violet Beauty. 
Wamba 
Wm. Copeland 
White Ivory... .. 
Winetka 
Youell’s v F avor 'te 
Zaidee 
Time required 
for first to 
show growth 
(days) 
Time required 
for last to 
show growth 
(days) 
Per cent, 
germinated 
Per cent, 
harvested 
20 
41 
100 
100 
57 
89 
100 
100 
35 
43 
50 
50 
20 
41 
100 
100 
55 
S3 
50 
50 
49 
55 
50 
50 
24 
38 
100 
100 
32 
89 
100 
100 
62 
75 
100 
100 
11 
83 
100 
100 
19 
63 
100 
89 
35 
73 
100 
100 
44 
57 
50 
50 
35 
41 
60 
20 
24 
72 
88 
63 

100(x) 
11 
19 
100 
100 
19 
88 
78 
61 
25 
59 
83 
83 
34 
38 
50 
25 
41 
63 
100 
50 
62 
100 
100 
100 
38 
89 
100 
67 
22 
156 
80 
80 
59 
92 
100 
100 
29 
57 
100 
100 

100(x) 
30 
51 
100 
100 
32 
53 
50 
63 (x) 
_ 
100(x) 
38 
44 
75 
75 
70 
98 
100 
50 
40 
52 
67 
67 
11 
22 
100 
100 
28 
40 
100 
100 
51 
78 
100 
100 
8 
94 
75 
75 
33 
54 
100 
100 
11 
66 
81 
62 
33 
46 
50 
50 
38 
49 
100 
50 
83 
115 
100 
50 
34 
53 
100 
100 
1 1 
75 
100 
100 
11 
129 
/3 
66 
45 
63 
100 
100 
11 
50 
100 
100 
50(x) 
39 
50 
100 
50 
100(x) 
33 
66 
67 
67 
32 
70 
100 
100 
42 
61 
100 
60 
398 
410 
75 
75(xx) 
87 
93 
100 
100 
66 
72 
100- 
100 
25 
119 
22 
22 
34 
58 
75 
50 
_ _ _ 
50(x) 
( x ) In one case a few of the corms harvested produced no foliage. In all other 
cases so checked all the corms were produced without growth of foliage. 
(xx) On the day that the corms were harvested it was discovered that Wamba 
cormels had remained dormant. They were immediately planted outside where they 
remained over winter with only a light covering of leaves, springing into growth the follow- 
ing spring; the long period for germinating which was here recorded dating from the day 
they were first planted in pots. 
