Many curious names have resulted from the prefix pig, as in Sussex,
where the bird's-foot trefoil is known as pig's-pettitoes; and in
Devonshire the fruit of the dog-rose is pig's-noses. A Northamptonshire
term for goose-grass (Galium aparine) is pig-tail, and the pig-nut
(Brunium flexuosum) derived this name from its tubers being a favourite
food of pigs, and resembling nuts in size and flavour. The common
cyclamen is sow-head, and a popular name for the Sonchus oleraceus is
sow-thistle. Among further names also associated with the sow may be
included the sow-fennel, sow-grass, and sow-foot, while the sow-bane
(Chenopodium rubrum), is so termed from being, as Parkinson tells us,
"found certain to kill swine."
Among further animal prefixes may be noticed the wolfs-bane
(Aconitum napellus), wolf's-claws (Lycopodium clavatum), wolf's-milk
(Euphorbia helioscopia), and wolfs-thistle (Carlina acaulis). The mouse
has given us numerous names, such as mouse-ear (Hieracium pilosella),
mouse-grass (Aira caryophyllea), mouse-ear scorpion-grass (Myosotis
palustris), mouse-tail (Myosurus minimus), and mouse-pea. The term
rat-tail has been applied to several plants having a tail-like inflorescence,
such as the Plantago lanceolata (ribwort plantain).
The term toad as a prefix, like that of dog, frequently means spurious,
as in the toad-flax, a plant which, before it comes into flower, bears a
tolerably close resemblance to a plant of the true flax. The frog, again,
supplies names, such as frog's-lettuce, frog's-foot, frog-grass, and frog-
cheese; while hedgehog gives us such names as hedgehog-parsley and
hedgehog-grass.
Connected with the dragon we have the name dragon applied to the
snake-weed (Polygonum bistorta), and dragon's-blood is one of the
popular names of the Herb-Robert. The water-dragon is a nickname of
the Caltha palustris, and dragon's-mouth of the Digitalis purpurea.
Once more, there is scorpion-grass and scorpion-wort, both of which
refer to various species of Myosotis; snakes and vipers also adding to the
list. Thus there is viper's-bugloss, and snake-weed. In Gloucestershire
the fruit of the Arum maculatum is snake's-victuals, and snake's-head is
a common name for thefritillary. There is the snake-skin willow and
snake's-girdles;--snake's-tongue being a name given to the bane-wort
(Ranunculus flammula).
Names in which the devil figures have been noticed elsewhere, as
also those in which the words fairy and witch enter. As the authors, too,
of the "Dictionary of Plant Names" have pointed out, a great number of
names may be called dedicatory, and embody the names of many of the
saints, and even of the Deity. The latter, however, are very few in
number, owing perhaps to a sense of reverence, and "God Almighty's
bread and cheese," "God's eye," "God's grace," "God's meat," "Our Lord's,
or Our Saviour's flannel," "Christ's hair," "Christ's herb," "Christ's
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