1(34 
A DICTIONARY OF 
intended. Holme (Academy of Armory, ii. 88) calls it Gall-of-the-earth, 
The root of Sonchiis JloriJ-anus, Willd., is so called in North America 
for a similar reason : see De Candolle’s Prodromus, vii. 250. 
Earth-moss. ^ Phascum' — Prior, p. 70. 
Earth Nut. (1) Bunium flexuosum,^ With. — Ger. ; Clies. ; >S.-TF’. 
Camb. ; N. Yks. ; E. Bord. Bot. E. Bord. Prom the nutty flavour of 
the tuber. ' Prior, p. 70. 
(2) (Enantlie innipinelloides, L. — Hants. (Wareham, &c.). ‘ The 
children eat the tubercles under the name of earth-nuts' — Phyt. 
iii. 260. 
Earth-pufF. A species of Lycoperdon (Nomenclator, 1585). — Nares. 
Earthquakes. Briza media, L. — Nhamp. Sternb. 
Earth-smoke (L. fumus terrcd). Fumaria officinalis, L. — Hal. gives 
Erthesmok, from MS. Sloane, 5, f. 5. In the Grete Herball it is 
called Smoke of the Earth or Fume of the Earth. Prior, p. 70. 
In Pratt’s Wild Flowers of the Year the name is said to be in use in 
the northern counties. See Fumitory. 
Earth-star. Various species of Geaster, ‘so called from [their] 
stellate shape when burst and lying on the ground.’ — Prior, p. 70. 
Easter Bell. See Bell. 
Easter, or Eastern, Giant. Polygonum Bistorta, L. — iS.-TF. Cunib. 
See Easter Magiants. 
Easter Ledges. Polygonum Bistorta, L. — Cumh., Westm. 
Easter Magiants, or Easter Mangiants. Polygonum Bistorta, L.— 
Cumb., Westm. It has been suggested that this is a corruption of the 
old name, Bistorta major, but Easter probably refers to the season at 
which this plant is often eaten. Magiants or mangiants may be from 
Fr. manger, to eat. That Easter refers to the season, and is not cor- 
rupted from Bistorta, is borne out by other names of the plant. Cf. 
Passions, Patient Dock. One correspondent spells it Easterma 
Jiands. Mr. Dickinson (E. D. S. Gloss. C. 8) has Eastermun-j lands 
and Easter May- giants. Mrs. Atkinson refers to the Westmoreland 
volume of the Beauties of England and Wales (no date), which ‘ seems 
to have been written about 1812 b}^ a Eev. Mr. Hodgson, a native of 
the county. lie says : “Till about the middle of the last century, 
garden vegetables, except onions and a few savoury herbs, were little 
known ; but a mess made of the tender leaves of Alpine bistort — 
viviparum Polygonum, called here Easter-ment-gions, i. e. sprouts of 
the Easter month — and groats, mixed with a small portion of young 
nettles, leaves of the giant bell-flower, and a few blades of chives, all 
boiled together in a linen bag with the meat, was accounted a delicacy 
to eat with veal in the spring.” ’ There is no doubt, as Mrs. Atkinson 
observes, that Mr. Hodgson was mistaken in his identification of the 
plant, and that P. Bistorta was intended. She adds : ‘ Every cottage 
orchard throughout the two counties has its little patch of it still 
grown for the mess above described, universally called “an erb 
jmddin’,” or “a jmarbe puddin’.” ’ See Gard. Chron. Sept. 19, 1874, 
for a more lengthy note on the name. 
