The Importance of Plants in HeraldryAuthor(s): Vida Carmen KenkSource: Economic Botany, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1963), pp. 169-179Published by: Springer on behalf of New York Botanical Garden PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4252441Accessed: 09/02/2010 20:09

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The Importance of Plants in Heraldry VIDA CARMEN KENK'

European heraldry as sueh was born in the first half of the 12th Century, although men had used distinctive symbols earlier to iden- tify the person, property or followers of a particular individual. At this time, a new type of helmet which covered the entire face replaced the older styles that protected only the top of the head and the nose (such as those pictured on the Bayeux Tapestry). A knight found it impossible to distinguish his best friend fromi his mortal enemy in the con- fusion of battle. To prevent accidents, the warrior painted an identifying pattern on his shield. He covered his mail with a cloth coat of arms bearing the same design and placed a distinctive crest on top of his hel- miiet. Forms of flowers, leaves, fruit and trees, as well as other natural objects, were incor- porated into these designs.

The various members of the same family used the samiie basic pattern on their shields with certain additions called marks of ca- deney to distinguish individuals. Usually on- ly persons of tournament rank wore a crest. Their followers wore badges which were often but not always similar to the crest. The Scottish clans used sprigs of plants as badges and often had an alternate badge for the time of year when the principal badge plant was out of season.

The development of tournaments was con- temnporary with the beginning of heraldry, and these two arts evolved together. Many persons had two shield patterns, one for tour- naments in time of peace, another for actual battle. The terminology of both heraldry and Jousting is derived from French. Thus, the colors and mietals in heraldry are called: gules (red), azure (blue), vert (green), sable (black), purpure (purple), argent (silver) and or (gold). An object which is depicted

1Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Term paper sub- mitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements in the course of Economic Botany in Harvard University.

Accepted for publication February 20, 1963.

in its natural colors is described as "proper." There are also special heraldic words refer- ring to plants: accrued = full-grown; barbed - with sepals (especially said of roses); blasted or starved = destitute of leaves; blossomed or fleuri = bearing flowers; coutped c cut off evenly; eradicated - torn up by the roots; fructed = bearing fruit; hurst = a group of trees; issuant = rooted, usually on a mount or hummock; jessant = shooting or springing out; nerved,= the veins of a leaf differ from the blade in color; pendant = drooping or hanging; seeded- with stamens (especially said of roses ); slipped = torn or broken off; stock = a tree stump. These terms are used in blazons (written or sketched descriptions of famiiily arms).

Plants depicted on shields are usually somewhat stylized. Trees are drawn with en- larged leaves and fruit for easy identifica- tion. If the tree is not specified, it is drawn as an oak. Flowers are often depicted as generalized quatrefoils or einquefoils, but the written blazon may indicate that a par- ticular blossom is intended.

The mediaeval mind must have considered the pun as the zenith of wit rather than the lowest forin of humor, judging from the number of arms which involve a play on English or French words. Obvious puns in- clude the use of apples by Appleton, cher- ries (Fr. crequier) by the de Crequys or daisies (Fr. marguerite) by many ladies named Margaret. More subtle allusions are Beauty (lilies), Noble (laurel) and Malherbe (nettles). Many examples of canting arnms will be found in the list below.

Heraldic arms were invented even for his- torical and mythical persons. Adam after the Fall supposedly adopted the fig leaf as his armorial insigne, while Eve, an heiress in her own right, had a green apple on a silver background.

By the 15th Century, the tournament had evolved from the melee, a free-for-all be- tween opposing groups, to the single-combat

169

170 ECONOMIC BOTANY

tilt. Since instant identification was no longer vital, crests became more elaborate and fanciful. Shields beeame more compli- cated, due to marriages between titled fam- ilies with subsequent combination of designs. Heraldry thus served as a genealogical rec- ord long after gunfire made armour obsolete,

Today, heraldic arms are largely decora- tive, although in the form of seals they serve to identify official docunments. Plants are still used as symbols on modern coats of arms. The Iraqui arms (adopted after 1921) show date palms, wheat and cotton; the shield of Pakistan depicts cotton, wheat, jute and rice.

The list below is by no means exhaustive; it merely indicates the variety of plants which have been used in English heraldry. In many cases, it is difficult to determine exactly what species is blazoned. Most of the examples used are from 1150 to 1500, with a few of later date.

I wish to express my deepest appreciation to Gail S. Weinberg, heraldic artist, for the heraldic illustrations which accompany this article.

Plants in Heraldry

ACORN Quercus spp. Associated with the thunder-god; said to protect against light- ning. Oakham District Council has acorns strewn (seme) on the background of the shield. See also OAK.

ALDER Alnus glutinosa. Used chiefly in puns. Alderherry: argent, three bunches of alder- berries proper. ALMOND Prunus amygdalus. Used allusively. Almond: argent, an almond slip fructed proper; Jordan bears three almond leaves above an eagle displayed. APPLE Pyrus malus. Associated with Eve and Venus. Appleton, Apuly, Havelton and Harlewyn bear stalked red apples, Estwire an apple tree. ASH Fraxinus excelsior. Used chiefly in puns. Ashen keys = branches laden with berries, borne by Ashford; Ashton: argent, an ash tree proper issuing from a tun or. ASPEN Populus tremula. Borne on the eant- ing arms of Espin and Aspinal. AZALEA, TRAILING probably Loiseleuria pro- cumbens. Badge of clan MacNaughton. BALM Melissa officinalis. Used as a home remedy for various ailments and as an ingre-

dient in Chartreuse, Benedictine and other liqueurs. Balme: argent, three sprigs of balm flowered. BARBERRY Berberis vulgaris. Berry: argent, a barberry branch frueted proper. BARLEY Hordeum vulgare. Blazoned like wheat ears with long beards. Borne as a pun by Grandorge (Fr. grain dorge); ears of barley borne by Goodalle and Smith; sheaves occur on the shield of the Worshipful Comii- pany of Brewers (Plate III, D). BAY See LAUREL.

BEAN Phaseolus vulgaris. Blazoned in the pod (bean-cod). Canting arms of Beane and Hardbean; appears also on shields of Rise and Merton. BIRCH Betula spp. Borne as a pun by Birches and Birtles, both or, three birch twigs sable; seen also on shields of Birche and Waldringbirch. BLACKBERRY Rubus fruticosus. Badge of clan MacLean.

BLUEBOTTLE See CORNFLOWER.

BOG-MYRTLE Myrica gale. Badge of Cainp- bell and MacArthur. BOXWOOD Buxus sempervirens. Badge of Davidson, MacBean, MaaDuff, MacGillivrav, MaeIntosh, MacQueen and Shaw. Varie- gated box is the badge of MacPherson. BRAMBLE Rubus spp. Canting arms of Brambley: argent, three bramblings proper in a chief gules. BROOM COD Genista tinctoria. The famned "planta genista," badge of the Plantagenet kings inherited from their ancestors, the Counts of Anjou, where its yellow flowers make the fields living gold in early summer. Queen Elizabeth I had a costume embroi- dered with planta genista. The plant is also known as dyer's greenwood. Broome: argent, three broom branches vert.

BUTCHNR'S BROOM Ruscus aciuleatus. Also called knee-holly. The shoots were bound into bundles and sold to butchers who used them for sweeping their blocks. Badge of Sutherland and Murray; occurs on the shield of the Worshipful Company of Butchers.

CABBAGE Brassica oleracea var. capitata. Even this garden vegetable is not ignored in heraldry, but appears on1 the arms of de Chauvelin (Plate III, C), possibly intended as a pun on Fr. chou. CARNATION Dianthus spp. Similar to PINK (which see), but blazon-edl bright gules.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANTS IN HERALDRY 171

N oyce: argent, three carnations gules stalked and leaved vert.

CEDAR Cedrus libanensis. Borne on shield of Montefiore between two mounts of flowers.

CHERRY Prunus spp. Drawn as somewhat stumpy, with a number of withy branches bent outwards and inwards in the form of a crown. Canting arms of de Crequys (Fr. crequier), also borne by Estover and Girflet; four cherries gules slipped vert are found on shield of Sergeaux. CHESTNUT Castanea spp. Tree shown on arms of Castanea, Italy (home of Pope Ur- ban VII); two uprooted chestnut trees in full bloom appear on the shield of the Beck- enham borough council.

CHINA-CHOKER or CHINA-COKAR Botani- cal identity completely unknown, apparent- ly grows only in heraldic gardens. Abank: argent, a China-cokar vert.

CLOVE Syzygium aromaticum. This term sometimes means pink. Borne as a symbol of commerce by the Worshipful Comupany of Grocers (Plate I, A) and Duffield; canting arms of Clive: or, a camiiel passant between three cloves sable.

CLOVER Trifolium spp. See also SHAM- ROCK and TREFOIL. A clover plant eradicated proper is depicted on the shield of Boehm.

CLUB Moss Lycopoditmm spp. Badge of Munro.

COCONUT Cocos nucifera. Blazoned fructed to distinguish it from a generalized palm, the coconut appeared in heraldry after the explorations of the 16th Century. Occurs on shield of Glasgow of Montgrennan.

COFFEE Coffea arabica. Sir Thomas Lip- ton: a branch of the tea shrub and a slip of the coffee tree, both flowered and fructed. COLUMBINE A quilegia vulgaris. Resembles a row of pea-cods on a stem in old blazons. Displayed by the Worshipful Company of Cooks (Plate II, D); a similar shield was borne by Coventry, Lord Mayor of London in 1425.

CORNFLOWER Centaurea cyanus. Heraldical- ly known as bluebottles or heydoddles. Cant- ing arms of Dodd and Bothell. COTTON Gossypium spp. One of several shrubs heraldically designated trees. It rep- resents the textile industry on the crest of Bury, a spinning centre; found on shield of Arkwright, inventor of the spinning-frame (Plate II, B).

CRAB-APPLE Malus sylvestris. Badge of Lamont.

CRANBERRY Oxycoccus palustris. Badge of Cameron and MaeFairlane. CYPRESS Cypressus spp. Tardy bears three cypress trees eradicated vert on an argent shield. DAISY Bellis perennis and other Comnposi- tae. Chaucer said: "Thanne love I most thise floures white and rede,/ Swyche as men calle dayesyes in oure toun." There is evi- dence for a cult of the marguerite in English and French poetry of his time. This flower was the badge of Margaret of Anjou and iany other ladies by that Christian name. It is blazoned as a pretty little flower of many white, red, or white and red petals sur- rounding a golden centre. The name daisy is derived froni day's eye for its cheerful and wide-awake appearance. Three daisies occur on the shields of Daisie, Marquis Mar- guerie and Pasquier (Fr. paquerette- mar- guerite) . ELM Ulmuiis spp. Elmhurst bears the cant- ing crest: a hurst of elms. Waller displays three elm leaves or on his shield. EUCALYPTUS Eucalyptus spp. Occurs on the armus of the Australian botanist Baron Miiller: or, two branches of eucalyptus ac- costed ( = side by side), stalks interlaced, vert.

FERN Many species. Usually in the form of a fern-brake, as in the crest of Harter: a stag springing from a fern-brake. FIG Ficus carica. Both the leaves and the entire tree are common in heraldry. Canting arms of Figuerra; leaves born on the shield of Greve.s and tree oni the shield of Mirtle. FIR Abies spp. or possibly Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) is meant for Scotch fir. Mac- Gregor bears a fir tree surmounted by a sword; Walkin-shaw: argent, a grove of fir trees proper. The Scotch fir is a badge for the clans Grant, MacAlpine, MacAuley, Mae- Fie, MacGregor, MacKinnon and MacNab. FLEUR-DE-LIS There is much controversv as to the origin of this decorative symbol. Leg- end tells us that it was presented to Clovis, King of the Franks, as a token of the Trin- ity by an angel descending from heaven. It first appears in heraldry on seals of Louis VII of France, surnamed Fleury, and may be a rebus = Fleur de Louis. (It is inter- esting to note that the name Louis is equiva- lent to Clovis.) Some records refer to it as "flos gladioli," derived perhaps fromii the

172 ECONOMIC BOTANY

PLATE I A. Worshipful Company of Grocers: argent, a chevron gules between nine cloves sable. B. Catherine of Aragon: pomegranate and rose of England conjoined (badge). ,C. Earl of Chester: azure, three garbs or. D. Favene: azure, a Spanish merchant brig under sail proper; on a chief invected argernt

two mulberry leaves, points upwards, on each two silkworms, proper.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANTS IN HERALDRY 173

lhead of a spear. A similar design occurs on Roman monuments and in the art of the Near East. A theory of less aesthetic appeal holds that it is a stylized toad. Those who maintain that the symbol has a floral origin disagree whether the flower is a lily or an iris. Whatever the source, the fleur-de-lis has become the chief heraldic symbol of France. It appeared on the English Royal Arms froin 1340 to 1603, expressing the English claim to the throne of France. The ancient arms of France, (azure, seme-de-lis or) were changed to France Modern by Chailes V in 1365, reducing the number of fleurs-de-lis to three in an attempt to refute the English claim. The fleur-de-lis occurs on many other shields (e.g., Eton College, Plate III, A). An interesting variation of the de- sign is found on the arms of Cantelope and Morley: a leopard's face jessant-de-lis. FOXGLOVE Digitalis purpurea. Remedy for cardiac disorders, still important in modern medicine. Badge of Farquharson and Fer- guson. GARLICK A llium satium. This fragrant herb appears on the canting arms of Gar- lick: argent, three heads of garlick proper. GENTIAN Gentiana spp. Often blazoned as a stylized quatrefoil, it occurs flowered and eradicated proper on the shield of Belstead. GENTIL Identified in Gerard's herbal as Am- aranthus purpureus. Supposedly endowed with everlasting life, it serves as a symbol of immortality and immortal works. "Flower gentle," as it is termed in heraldry, can also mean noble flower, i.e., the lilv proper. The background of the shield of John Caius (1560) is or, seme of flowers gentle. GILLYFLOWER See PINK and WALLFLOWER. "The fairest flowers o' the season are our carnations and streak'd gillyvors," The Win- ter's Tale.

GIRASOLE See SUN-FLOWER.

GORSE Ulex europaeus. Also commonly called whin, this is the badge of Logan, Mac- Leman and Sinclair.

GOURDS May be mis-blazoned pears on the shield of Stenkle: azure, three gourds or stalks upwards. GRAINTREE Coccus ilicis. Branches infested with this seale insect were harvested, dried and used as a source for scarlet dye from the time of the ancient Phoenicians. The graintree with holly leaves is the crest of the Dyer's Company. GRAPES Vitis vinifera. Often blazoned as

generalized vines, although bunches of grapes imiay be borne on a shield, as they are by Bradway and Viscountess Beaconsfield (Plate II, A).

GRASS Various species of Gramiineae. Pre- sumably green mounts, etc. are covered with grass, but this plant is specifically men- tioned in the blazon of Tylsley: argent, three tufts of grass vert. HAWTHORN Crataegus spp. Usually fleuri gules or argent. The royal crown was found in a hawthorn bush after the battle of Bos- worth Field in which Richard III was slain; hence, his successor Henry VII adopted a hawthorn bush with a crown as one of his badges. Canting arimis of Thornton and Thornholme.

HAZEL NUT Corylus avellana. Nuts heral- dically known as avellanes or coquerelles. The cross-avellane is derived from four nuts in their green coverings with the stalks meet- ing. Hazelrigg: argent, a chevron between three hazel leaves vert. HEART's EASE See PANSY.

HEATH Erica spp. Common heath is the badge of MacAllister, MaeCall, MacDonald and MaeIntyre. The bell heath (Erica cin- erea) is the badge of MacI)ougal. HEATHER. Calluna vulgaris. Known by its French name bruyere, it serves as canting arms for Brugiere: argent, a branch of heather vert.

HELIOTROPE See SUNFLOWER. HEYDODDES See CORNFLOWER.

HoLLY Ilex aquifolium. Frequently seen on Scottish arms such as Irvine and the badges of Drummond, MacInnes, MacKenzie, Mac- Lean and MacMillan. Owen's ferocious shield is gules, a boar argent, armed, bris- tled, collared and chained or, tied to a holly bush on a mount, all proper. Hops Humulus lupulus. Borne as puns by Hobillion and Houblon: argent, on a mount in base three hop-poles erect with hop vines sustaining their fruit, all proper. HOUSELEEK See SENGREEK. IvY Hedera helix. Like the grape, this is often blazoned merely as "vine," but the plant is specified on the shield of St. Ives of nursery-rhyme fame: a branch of green ivy spreading over an argent background. JUNIPER Juniper communis. Badge of Gunn, MacLeod, Murray and Ross. KNEE-HoLLY See BUTCHER'S BROOM.

174 ECONOMIC BOTANY

~~~~~~~*4i

PLATE II

A. Viscountess Beaconsfield: argent, a buneh of grapes stalked andl leaved proper, between two flaunches sable, each charged with a boar's head argent.

B. Arkwright: argent, on a mount vert a cotton tree fructed proper; on a chief azure be- tween two bezants an escutcheon argent, charged with a bee volalit proper.

C. Livingstone: azure, three oranges slipped proper within an orl of thistles or. D. Worshipful Company of Cooks: argent, a chevron engrailed gules, between three colum

bines azure, stalked and leaved.

'THE IMPORTANCE OF PLA-NTS IN HERALDRY 175

LAUREL Laurus nobilis. Known also as bay. This plant is a symbol of favor and preser- vation, representing triumph of virtue de- spite outrageous fortune. It is often associ- ated with oak leaves and acorns in garlands granted to military and naval victors. It is used as a pun on the shields of Bayford, Lorimer and Noble.

LAVER Porphyra spp. Displayed on the shield of the City of Liverpool: argent, a liver (cormorant), in the beak a braneh of laver, all proper.

LEEK Allium spp. Unofficial badge of Wales. When blazoned proper, it has green leaves and a silver bulb. Lingen bears as a crest: seven leeks root upwards issuing from a ducal coronet all proper.

LEMON Citrus limon. The canting arms of Sir John Leman, Lord Mayor of London, are: in a lemon tree proper, a pelican in her piety (wounding her breast with her bill to feed her young) proper.

LILAC Syringa vulgaris. Traditionally de- picted as purpure quatrefoils with star- shaped piereings, these appear on the cant- ing arms of Les Lilas, a Paris suburb, with the motto: "J'etais Fleur, Je suis Cite."

LILY Lilium spp. Blazoned as "garden lilies," "lilies of the Virgin" or "lilies slipped" to distinguish the natural flowers from the fleur-de-lis. The blossom is a sym- bol of purity associated with the Virgin; it appears on the shield of the College of St. Mary the Virgin at Eton (Plate III, A). Lillie bears azure, three lilies argent; Beauty has azure, three lilies slipped proper.

LoTrus Lotus spp. The red lotus is the sym- bol of India and is often displayed on the arms of those who became famous there, such as Sir Roper Lethbridge and Sir Thomas Seccombe. Occurs on the shield of the Uni- versity of Madras with a Bengal tiger and two elephant heads.

MANDRAKE Mandragora officinarum. Famed in legend and superstition, this plant is lit- tle used in heraldry. Bodyham bears three mandrakes, alluding to the supposed resem- blance of the root to the human body.

MAPLE Acer spp. Maple slips of three leaves are the unoffilial badge of Canada and are found also on the arms of some of her provinces. Lord Stratheona bears: on a mount vert, a maple tree, at the base thereof a beaver gnawing the trunk, all proper.

MARIGOLD Calendula officinalis or several other Compositae. Adopted as a badge by many ladies named Mary, as it is symbolic of the Virgin and a messenger of hope. With the daisy, the chrysanthemum and the sun- flower, it represents the sun and its life- giving powers. It appears on the canting arms of Goldman and the Marquises d'Es- paynet (Fr. espoir). MISTLETOE Viscum album. Rarely seen in heraldry, one of the few examples being the shield of Walbert: or, three bars gules, over all a branch of mistletoe, vert, frueted ar- gent.

MOUNTAIN ASH Sorbus aucuparia. Also called rowan. The ash appears on the Wigan shield and crest and is a badge of Mac- Lachlan.

MULBERRY Morus alba. Described by an old account as the symbol of wisdomii, "whose property is to speak and to do all things in opportune season; and it is represented the wisest of all trees, in regard it never sprouteth nor buddeth until such time as all extremity of cold winter-season be clearly past and gone." It is used as a pun on the shield of Sir Hugh de Morians (circa 1315), azure, three mulberry leaves or, and the badges of the Mowbrays, Dukes of Norfolk. Later, it signified commerce, as on the shield of Favenc (Plate I, D).

NARCISSUS Narcissus spp. Stylized as a cinquefoil (although the flower has six petals). Lambart: gules, three narcissuses argent pierced of the field (i.e., centre gules). NETTLE Urtica spp. The use of this plant often has a derogatory allusive meaning. Nettle and Malherbe both bear three nettle leaves on their shields and Mallery bears or, a bunch of nettles vert (perhaps a pun on Fr. mal). OAK Quercus spp. King of heraldic trees. Oak is assumed to be intended when a blazon fails to specify the kind of tree. An oak tree fructed is said to be acorned or en- glante. The tree or its parts are borne on the canting arms of Oke, Aikenhead and Forest; it appears also on the shields of Brayne, Milford, Cambis, MacGregor and many other families. OATS Avena sativa. Oat sheaves are promi- nently displayed on the shield of the Wor- shipful Company of Innholders, represent- ing feed for the travellers' horses. OLIVE Olea europaea. The branches of this

176 ECONOMIC BOTANY

PLATE III A. Eton College: sable, three lilies slipped argent; a chief party per pale, azure, and gules;

on the dexter side a fleur-de-lis or; on the sinister a lion passant guardant of the last. B. Borough of Saffron Walden: argent, in base a gateway with two towers, and in fess two

similar towers, all conjoined with a circular wall embattled, enclosing three saffron flowers slipped and leaved, all proper.

C. De Chauvelin: argent, a cabbage eradieated vert, encircled by a serpent or. D. Worshipful Company of Brewers: gules, on a chevron engrailed argent, between six bar-

ley sheaves in saltire or, three kilderkins sable hlooped or.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANTS IN HERALDRY 177

tree have symbolized fertility, peace and prosperity ever since the early Mediterra- nean civilizations. It is used as a pun by Oliver: argent, on a mount vert an olive tree proper; it occurs also on the armiis of Vanhatton, de Brebier and Dalbiac. ORANGE Citrus sinensis. Common in the heraldry of England and the continent. Liv- ingstone bears oranges slipped surrounded by thistles (Plate II, C); Sweetland and de la Motte have orange trees on their shields. An orange slipped proper was given to Lord Polwarth as an augmentation by King Wil- liam III (William of Orange). PALM Various Palinae. Prominent in an- eient symbolic sculpture, although most of its use in heraldry is after the era of Span- ish and Portuguese explorations. Palms ap- pear on the shield of Columbus and other men of recent centuries who have become famous in the tropics, as well as on the coats of arnms of many tropical countries (e.g., Ceroxylon for Colombia). In ecclesi- astical heraldry, palm branches represent the martyr triumphant. They have the wider mneaning of general victory such as naval and military honors (e.g., Lord Nelson). The shield of Vault has an unknown symbolism: argent, an ape sejant (= sitting) on a heart and holding a palm branch proper. PANSY Viola tricolor. Also called heart's ease. This garden favorite occurs on the shield of Northey of Epsom with two lilies and three panthers. PAPYRUS Cyperus papyrus. Papyrus boles are found on the shield of the city of Bury, representing its paper industry.

PEAR Pyrus commnunis. Appears on the canting arms of Periton, Warden and Wal- den. Pears were granted to the city of Wor- cester as insignia of augmentation by Queen Elizabeth I after a visit in token of the citizens' "skill and diligence in the prepara- tion of cider and perry."

PEPPER Capsicum spp. Always blazoned in a leguminous pod, although it is a member of the Solanaceae. Used allusively by Bit- ley: argent, three pepper-pods sable. PINE Pinus spp. Often depicted on Scottish shields. They have an ancient symbolic meaning of eternity. Pine cones are often called pine apples. The canting arms of de Pins are gules, three pine cones or; those of Pyne are argent, on a mount in base a pine tree fructed, all proper. De Chateaubriand bore gules, seme of gold pine cones, but these were later changed to fleurs-de-lis.

PINEAPPLE Ananas comosus. Blazoned as "ananas" to avoid confusion with pine cones. This symbol of friendship and hospitality is often carved above the doors of Georgian buildings. The fruit is borne on the shield of Benson.

PINK Dianthus spp. Sometimes called gilli- flower or clove. The heraldic pink has a sin- gle corolla and is depicted slightly in profile and conventionalized. It occurs allusively on the shield of Jollie (Fr. joli - pretty) and is found also on the arnms of Liston and Vis- count Kilsyth Livingstone.

POMEGRANATE Punica granatum. Symbol of fertility and prosperity. Its association with Spain is implied by the name, "apple of Granada." Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, brought it to England as her badge and combined it with the Tu- dor rose (Plate I, B). The badge was trans- mitted to both Mary and Elizabeth and adopted by many English nobles of the 16th Century, among them Dr. Lupus, physician to Queen Elizabeth, and Bilson, Bishop of Winehester (1597-1616).

POPLAR Populus spp. Occurs on the arms of Gandolfi between two crowned lions. PoPPy Papaver spp. Canting arms of Bol- ler: gules, three poppy bolles (seed cap- sules) on their stalks in fess (= in a hori- zontal line across the middle of the shield) or.

POTATO Solanum tuberosum. Represented on only one shield, that of the city of Neuilly-sur-Seine. Here it commemorates the re-introduction and popularization of the tubers in France by Parmentier, who planted them in the plains of Sablonville near the city. Parmentier was made a pris- oner of war by the Prussians five times dur- ing the Seven Years' War. As a captive, he subsisted almost entirely on potatoes and learned to appreciate their food value. The shield of Neuilly-sur-Seine bears: gules, an arched bridge, with a ship on the waves, all proper; on a chief ( on the upper part of the shield) azure three potato flowers slipped or.

PRIMROSE Primula vulgaris. Vernal sym- bol. Used as a pun on the shield of Prim- rose, Earl of Rosebery. QUINCE Cydonia oblonga. Blazoned like an apple. Bonefeld: a chevron between three quinces or.

REED Phragmites communis. Crest of Mid- dlemore: a moor-cock amidst grass and reeds

178 ECONOMIO BOTANY

proper; Sykes' shield: gules, three tufts of reeds vert.

ROSE Rosa spp. The rose, now familiar as the badge of England, was first introduced into British royal heraldry by Eleanor of Provence, Queen to Henry III. Her gold- en rose became the badge of her elder son Edward I, while his brother, the Earl of Lancaster, took a red rose for heraldic dif- ference. The white rose of York may be traced back to the badge of Roger Mortimer, grandfather of the Mortimer who was the heir of Richard II. These badges were prom- inent during the Wars of Roses (1455-1485), illustrated below by quotations from sueh widely different authors as Shakespeare and Lewis Carroll: ". . . I prophesy: this brawl today . . . Shall send between the red rose and the white / A thousand souls to death and deadly night." (Henry Vi). "This here ought to have been a red rose tree, and we put in a white one by mistake; and if the Queen was to find it out, we should all have our heads cut off, you know." (Alice, in Wonderland). After the defeat of Richard III, the two roses were united as the Tudor rose (Plate I, B) by Henry VII. "We will unite the white rose and the red; / Smile Heaven upon this fair conjunction / That long have frowned upon their enmity." (Richard III).

The rose of heraldry is a stylized wild rose with five petals. The multi-petalled eul- tivated rose is rarely found on arms and is indicated as a "garden rose," invariably stalked. ROWAN See MOUNTAIN ASH.

RUE Ruta graveolens. Symbolizing grief and regret, this flower is seldom found on eoats of arms, although a chaplet of rue is borne by the Duke of Saxony. RYE Secale cereale. Ears of rye are depicted in heraldry as drooping wheat. Rye stalks appear on the canting arms of Rye; Turn- bull bears an ear of rye between three bulls' heads. SAFFRON Crocus sativus. Although purple in nature, this spice and dye flower is tra- ditionally blazoned or. The arms of the Bor- ough of Saffron Walden bear a double pun (Plate III, B). Saffron was cultivated at Walden from the reign of Edward III until the 18th Century. SENGREEK Sempervivum tectorum. Known also as the houseleek, it should not be con- fused with the leek. Occurs on the shield of

John Caius (1560), resting on the heads of two serpents. SHAMROCK Trifolium campestre or 1'. re- pens. A modified trefoil, blazoned with heart-shaped lobes and a wavy stalk. It is the badge of Ireland and St. Patrick, who used the leaf to illustrate the concept of the Trinity.

STRAWBERRY Fragaria vesca. Usually styl- ized as a cinquefoil. Fraser (1298) bears sable, six frases argent (Fr. fraiser). SUNFLOwER Helianthus annuus and several other Compositae. Generally borne in com- bination with the sun in splendor, towards which the blossom is turned as implied by its other names, girasole and heliotrope. It is associated with gold and used by gold- smiths. Florio bears azure, a heliotrope 01' leaved vert, in chief a sun in splendor. SUGAR CANE Saccharum officinarun. The arms of Chambers show a Negro cutting sugar cane; Foulks bears crossed sugar canes.

TEASLE Seed head of a thistle. Bruslhes of teasle are used in the manufacture of cloth, hence it appears on the arms of the Wor- shipful Company of Clothworkers. Bow- den: argent, three teasles slipped proper. THISTLE Carduus spp. or Cirsium spp. Badge of Scotland. Imperially crowned, it is grant- ed as a mark of honor by Scottish rulers. It is seen on the canting arms of Teasdale (alluding to the teasle) : argent, a thistle between two pheons ( = arrow heads) azure; an orl of thistles appears on the shield of Livingstone (Plate II, C). TOBACCO. Nicotiana tabcacum. This plant from the New World occurs on the shield of the Worshipful Company of Tobacco-Pipe Makers: argent, on a mount in base vert, three plants of tobacco growing and flower- ing all proper.

TREFOIL Blazoned as a leaf with three pear- shaped lobes, generally slipped. This is one of the earliest plant designs. Sir Edmond de Acre (e. 1300): gules, a trefoil or, three escalops ( = scallop shells) argent. TULIP Tulipa spp. The flower makes one of its rare heraldic appearances on the arms of Raphael, where it is held in the mouth of a bay horse. TURNIP Brassica rapa. A turnip leaved proper occurs on the shield of Dammant. VINES Considered a tree of life in Christian and pre-Christian tradition. A vine may rep-

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANTS IN HERALDRY 1-79

resent any of various climbing plants, but a vine fructed usually bears bunches of sable or gules grapes. Levinz has a vine leaved and fructed proper on his shield (possibly a pun on leaves); the town of Dijon: gules, a vine or, leaved vert. VIOLET Viola odorata. Floral badge of the Napoleonic dynasty; occurs also on the ariais of Dickens (not the author) and Pol. WALLFLOWER Cheiranthus cheiri. Sometimes called gillyflower, a name applied also to pinks. It is included in the digitalis series and was a popular remedy for a variety of iiiediaeval ailments. Badge of Urquehart.

WALNUT Juglans regia. Canting badge of Waller. After the battle of Agincourt he was permitted to hang a shield with the arms of France on a branch to comnmemo- rate the victory over the French.

WATTLE Acacia decurrens. The yellow flow- ers are the unofficial badge of Australia. WHEAT Triticum aestivum. Wheat sheaves are heraldically known as garbs. They may be banded with cords of a distinct color. One of the most important nobles of the 13th Century was the Earl of Chester (Plate I, C) and many neighboring fanmilies adopted garbs on their arms as a symbol of feudal homage to him. A garb appears on the shield of the town of Luton, represent- ing the wheat straw-plaiting industry; garbs are prominent on the arms of the Worship- ful Company of Bakers. WiHIN See GORSE.

WHORTLEBERRY Probably Vaccinium vitis- ldaea. Badge of Davidson, MacBean, Mae- Duff, MaeGillivray, MacLeod, MacQueen and Shaw. WILLOW Sali spp., usually depicted as S. babylonica. Known in heraldry as salix or osier; willow branches are called wands. Osier wands slipped occur on the arms of the Basket Makers' Company. Willow trees are shown on the canting arms of Willis and the Count de Salis. YEw Taxus baccata. Badge of Fraser.

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