Page:Glossary of words in use in Cornwall.djvu/293

 24 A GLOSSABT OF DEVONSHIRE PLANT NAMES. has something to do with *' Bachelor's Buttons," another name by which it is still widely known. Elobbt Dock, Flop-a-dook, Flop Poppy, Floptop, Flox, DigitaUa pwrpwrea^ L. '* That most elegant of all wild flowers, and most delicately painted in its bells, &e digitalis or foxglove, or, as the peasantry here (on Dartmoor) call it, ' flop-cniock.' " {Borders of Tamar and Tavy, i. p. 272 ; Britten, p. 188 ; Trans, Devon. Assocj^m, 207. Of. Flap Dock, Foxglove, Poppy.) Flock ; PMox, The word Phlox has evidently been taken as a plural, on which account the common people will say, '* Look at my Flock plant !" so reserving Flocks, i.e. Phlox, for the plural. Fobobt-me-not, (1) Veronica CkanuBdrys^ L. A confiision originating in the blue colour of the flowers. (Prior, p. 83.) (2) Myosotis palustriSf With. (Prior, p. 85.) (3) Myosotis arvensis, Hoflm. {Cf. Britten, p. 191.) Foxglove, (1) Cfladiolus, a very intelligible mistake. (2) Digitalis purpurea, L., but not usual among the common people, who use some of the foregoing names almost invariably, especially "Floptop" or " Flappydock." (Prior, p. 86; Britten, p. 192 ; Earle, pp. 9, 27, &c) The etymology is still a puzzle. Fbenoh Hales, Fyrus seandica, Bab. " The fruits are sold in Barnstaple for a halfpenny a bunch.'' (Gf, Britten, p. 194.) Frbnoh Nut. (1) The fruit of Juglans regia, L., or Walnut. (2) The fruit of Castanea vesca. Lam. (also called Meat Nut, &c.) Britten (p. 194) and Prior (p. 86) give only Walnut ; so the various writers quoted by Mr. Pengelly in Tram, Devon. Assoc. vii. 477. But I have made diligent enquiries in and around Newton Abbot, and with the result that half the people say Chestnuts are called French nuts, and half the people say Walnuts are so named, llie shop-keepers say that both are so called, which is the &ct. In order to prevent confusion, Chestnuts are often called Meat-nuts or Stover-nuts. As an illustration of the way in which confusion creeps in, we may remark that in the lists printed by Prof. Earle Walnot glosses Avelana (i.e. Filberts or Hazel-nuts). (See Earle's Plant Names, pp. 53, 55, and the remarks of the author respecting this on p. 82.) French Pink, (1) Armeria maritima, L. {Trans, Devon, Assoc. xiii. p. 207.) (2) Cf. Indian Pink. Fkiar's Caps, Aconitum Napetlus, It, {Gf. Prior, p. 87 ; Britten, p. 194.) I have not heard the name myself. {Cf, Pabson-in-the- PULPIT.) Fuzz, Ulex EuropaeuSf L. Furze ; more usually pronounced Vuzz (which see) by the real Devonian. {Cf, Earle, p. 91; Prior, p. 88.) Garden Gates, Saxifraga umbrosa, L. I made a note on this name last year. {Trans. Devon, Assoc, xiii 207.) I recently visited Bovey Tracey again in company with a friend from North Devon.