15. Sun Spurge. "Quia flores ad ortum solis se aperiunt." Churn Staff, from
its similarity.
16. Welcome to our House (_Tithymalus Cyparissias_). "Ob pulchritudinem
suam omnibus expetitus."
17. Ruddes (_Fl. Calendulae_). "A colore aureo." Wild or Corn Marigold. "Q.
d. aurum Mariae, a colore sc. floris luteo." Gouls or Goulans, with a
half-suppressed _d_, may very well be supposed to indicate its natural
name--Gold. Another name of this plant is Lockron, or Locker Goulans.
18. Spurry (_Spergula_). "Sic dict. quia folia ejus octo, angusta,
stelliformia, radios calcaris satis exacte referunt."
19. Mercury Goose-foot. Probably a goose-foot resembling Mercury
(_Mercurialis_), a herb concerning which Skinner doubts, but suggests,
"Quia Mercurio, ut ceterae omnes plantae planetis, appropriata sit."
Another name is Good Henry,--I find not Good _King_ Henry--(_Lapathum
unctuosum_), "A commodo ejus usu in enematis." It is also called All-good,
forasmuch as it is useful, not only for its medicinal qualities, but also
in supplying the table with a substitute for other vegetables, such as
asparagus.
A plant termed in this country Gang Flower is the same as Rogation Flower,
recalling the perambulation of parishes on one of those days. There is a
vast fund of interesting matter in these old names of wild flowers (mixed
up, of course, with much that is trifling); and I cordially agree with your
correspondent, that it is well worth a steady effort to rescue the
fast-fading traditions relating to them. It must be confessed, however,
that the obstacles in the way of tracing the original meaning and supposed
virtues, will in many instances be found very great, arising principally
from the fanciful translations and corruptions which our ancestors made of
the old names. Take, for instance, the following:
Loose Strife or Herb Willow, from _Lysimachia_, the original being
undoubtedly a man's name, Lysimachus.
Ale-hoof (_Hedera terrestris_). Anglo-Saxon _Al behofian_. "Herba [Greek:
panchrestos], ad multos usus efficacissima."
Herb Ambrose has a Greek origin, [Greek: ambrotos], and is not indebted to
the saint of that name.
Comfrey or Cumfrey. "Herba vulnera _conferruminans_;" good for joining the
edges of a wound.
Calathian Violets. Simply cupped violets, from [Greek: kalathos].