174 
A DICTIONARY OF 
fallen star ; thus Bailey’s Diet, has ‘ ISTostock, stinking tawney jelly of 
a fallen planet, or the nocturnal solution of some plethorical and 
wanton star,’ See Shot Star, and Britten’s Popular British Fungi, p. 
82, for a fuller account of the superstition. 
Faitour’s Grass {Faytowrys gresse or faytours gress — Prompt. Parv.). 
Hal. Wr. ‘A faytowre was, as it seems, a conjuror or a quacksalver, 
so called from the French faiteor or faiturieVy a sorcerer ; and thence 
the name was applied to itinerant pretenders to such skill, to mendi- 
cants, and generally to idle livers. The plant called quacksalver’s 
turhith or spurge, the Tithymalus or Esula of the old botanists. 
Euphorbia, Lin., was much employed in homely physic, as also hy the 
empirics in former times. Its virtues are detailed hy Gerard and 
Parkinson.’ — Prompt, Parv. This seems to be Euphorbia Esula, L. 
False-blows. ^ The male flowers of the melon and cucumber. East. ' 
— Hal. Wr. : no doubt so called because they produce no fruit. 
False Mercury. Chenopodium Bonus-Henricus, L. — Ger. Index. 
‘ It is taken for a kinde of Mercurie, but unproperly, for that it hath 
no participation with Mercurie, either in forme or qualitie, except yee 
wil call every herbe Mercurie which hath power to loose the bellie.’ — 
Ger. p. 259. See Mercury. 
False Parsley. uEthusa CynagDium, L. — Sal. 
False Rhubarb. Thalictnim flavum, L. — Lyte. The plant is 
possessed of laxative properties, according to Lyte, hence the name ; 
‘ partly so called ’ also on account of the roots being ‘ yellow like 
rewbarbe.’ 
Fancy. Viola tricolor, L. — ‘An attempted explanation of pansy.’ — 
Prior, p. 14. 
Vane. ‘ The white flower-de-luce. Gerard.’ — Hal. Wr. This name, 
which is given in Ger. Appx. , applies to some white-flowered Iris, but 
we cannot determine the species. 
Fapes. See Fabes. 
Fare-nut, or Vare-nut. Bunium fiexiiosum, "With. — Cormo. 
Farewell Summer. Saponaria officinalis, L, — Monmouth (Ponty- 
pool), Phyt. iv. 443. From its flowering in the months of August and 
September. 
Farmers’ Plague. jEgopodium Podagraria, L. — Ireland (Belfast). 
I From the extreme difficulty experienced in eradicating it. 
Farn. Pteris aquilina, L. — Glou. Phyt. i. 263. ^ Farn-ticldes. To 
tick is to ticket or mark anything, hence fern-ticks, fern-maiks : 
freckles on the skin resembling the. seeds of ferns. North.’ — Holl. 
Farthing-rot. Hydrocotyle vulgaris, L. — Norf. 
Faselles. See Feasils. 
Fateh, or Fatches. Vicia sativa, L. — Glou.; West, Hal. Wh’. ; 
Wore. 
Fateh, Meadow. Onohrycliis sativa, L. — Pratt. 
