Page:Glossary of words in use in Cornwall.djvu/316

A GLOSSABT OF DEVONSHIRE PLANT NAMES. 47 old writer says that ^'Ayenoe is an herb that som men caUip hartfote.** (See Britten, p. 241.) Evidently Bam'a-foot is a modernized form of Hare's-foot," for the root bears little resem- blance to a rami' 8 foot ; unless we could prove it to be for Hremfdt^ t.e. " Kaven's-foot, which would answer well. {Cf. Earle's Pla7it Navies^ p. 36.) Rayunclus. a corraption of Ranunculiis. Red Clematis, Ampelqpsis hederaeea, L,, or Virginian Creeper, the beautiful foliage of which changes to a ruddy colour in autumn. Red-hot Poker, Tritoma Uvaria, or Uvaria grandijtora, L. Also called <' Devil's Poker." Red Robin, Lychnis diuma^ Sibth. The Red Campion. (Cf. Robin, &c.) Redwebd, Polygonum avieulare, L. ^^ Redtceed and Asamart usually occur together," said a farmer to me, as he showed me about his ground one day last summer. Reed. Straw employed for thatching. {Tmnti. Devon, Assoc, vii 532.) Rbxens, Juncits, or Rushes. (Tram, Devon. Assoc xilL pi 92.) A double plural. A.S. Riscey plural Riscen, The forms rixen and raxen are quite common throughout the South-West of England. (Earle's Plant Navies, pp. 14, 31, 52 ; Prior, p. 202.) Ribbon Fern, Pteris serrata cristata, L. A very expressive name. Robin's Eyb, (1) Oeranium Robertianum, L. Herb Robert (2) Lychnis diuma, SibtL Rose Campion. These two flowers usually bear the same names. They are fiequently called ^ Bird's- eye," whence the second part of tiie present name. The former part comes from the &ct that the Geranium is called Herb Robert, and the Campion Robin, These names refer to persons, but the transition to " Robin's Eye " is quite natural and intelligible. Robin, Robin Hood, Round Robin, (1) Cferaniuni Robertianum^ L. Herb Robert. (2) Lychnis diuma, Sibth. The explanations are numerous. They may be classified thus : (1) From the colour, Robin being taken by some as the equiva- lent of Robert, a rubro colore, (Cf. Britten, p. 259.) (2) Corresponds to French Robinet, which Prior (p. 195) refers to the memb, vir., but fancifully, as we think. (3) After a celebrated curator of the Oxford Botanic Garden. (4) From Robert, a monk of the Cistercian order. (Comhtll, June, 1882.) (5) From Robert, Duke of Normandy. (Prior, p. 113.) (6) From its being employed to cure a disease called Rnprechtt" plage. (See Hare's Essays in Philology, i. 14.) (7) From Robin Hood. We know that many plants are named after remarkable personages. In Romance of the London Diredai^j, p. 64, &a, we have a summary of facts relating to this individual, and (borrowing partly from Halliwell) the writer refers to the fact that "Bindweed goes by the title of ' Robin-run-in-th^-hedge ; '