50 
A DICTIONARY OF 
Blessed Thistle. (1) In books usually Car dims benedict us^ L. — 
Prior, p. 24. 
(2) Carduus Marianus^ L. — Warw. 
Bletherweed. Silene injiata, Sm. — Dors. On account of the form 
of the calyx : blether = bladder. Hal. See Bladder Campion. 
Blewart. Veronica Chamcedrijs, 
‘ When the blewart bears a pearl, 
And the daisy turns a pea. 
And the bonnie lucken-gowan 
Has fahldit up her ee.’ 
Hogg, When the hye comes hame. 
Dr. Johnston has shown that the above plant, and not, as has been 
supposed, Centaurea Gyanus, is referred to in these lines ; the allusion 
is to.-^e appearance of the blossom when closed, showing the ‘pale 
glaucous underside ’ of the corolla. See Blawart. 
Blewball. Centaurea Gyanus, L. — Ger. Index. 
Blewblow. Centaurea Cyanus, L. — Ger. Hal. 
Blewit, or Blewits. Agaricus personatus, L., ‘in some parts of 
England.’ — Treas. Bot. Sowerby says it was sold under this name in 
Covent Garden. Dr. Badham suggests the name should be ‘ blue- 
hats i but it is rather the stem than the pileus that is of a violet or 
bluish hue. See Blue-legs, Mrs. Hussey spells it Bluette. North. 
Hal. Wr. . * 
Blight. ‘ An hearbe so called because it seemeth to be blighted or 
burned.’ — Minsheu. He goes on to explain it as referring to Ustilago, 
various species of which are often so called. 
Blind Ball. T arious species of Lycoperdon, especially L. Bovista, L. 
— Var. dial. Hal. Wr. ; Sal., Hartshorne. The Lycoperdon, like the 
poppy (see Blind Eyes), is supposed to cause blindness if placed 
too close to the eyes. 
Blind-buff. Lycoperdon Bovista, L. — Sal. (Clun). 
Blind Eyes. Papaver Rhceas, L., or P. duhiuin, L. — N. Buchs. ; 
Norf.; Nhamp. Baker, Wr. There is a belief in Yorkshire that if 
placed too near the eyes it will cause blindness. Of. Blindy Buffs 
and Headache. 
Blind Flower. Veronica Chammdrys,^. — Durli. (Hartlepool), where 
it is said by the children that, if you look steadily at it for an hour, 
you will become blind. 
Blind Harry. ‘The puff-ball.’ — Hemnich. This is also a Scotch 
name for the game of Blindman’s-buff : see Jamieson. 
Blind Man’s Ball. Lycoperdon. — Scott. Jamieson. ‘An idea, 
according to Linnaeus, prevails throughout the whole of Sweden that 
the dust of this plant causes blindness.’ — Jamieson. 
Blind Man’s Bellows. Lycoperdon. — Roxb. Jamieson. 
Blind-man’s Buff. A species of Lycoperdon, probably L. Bovista, 
L. — Hal. Wr. E. Bord. Bot. E. Bord. 
