Some plants have strange common names such as Jack in the Hedge or Mouse Ear.

With most, their names can be traced back to herbal remedies, country traditions or perhaps because they have a passing resemblance to something. For example, the leaf of the mouse ear does bear a slight similarity to a mouse's ear.

There are two plants in full bloom at the moment whose names have intrigued me for some time. The first of these is the common centaury. This is one of our district's most beautiful plants and can be found growing across many heathlands, especially in the more grassy areas and anywhere where there are poor uncultivated soils. The centaury produces a spray of beautiful shocking pink, star-shaped flowers with deep yellow stamens at the centre. It is also a rather shy flower only really opening up in bright, sunny conditions.

As for its name, I originally perused the thought that it might be a corruption of the word century and was somehow related to the passing of time. However, after much research, I found out that its name actually relates to the Greek myths where it was reputedly used by a mythical centaur to cure wounds caused by poison arrows. In reality, though, this plant has few curative properties.

Away from the heat of the sandy heath, growing in the shade of the woods is another mysterious sounding plant that is also in flower at the moment. It is called the enchanters' nightshade. This fiendish sounding name covers up the fact that this is a rather unremarkable plant, which produces small, delicate white flowers that are easily overlooked. The nightshade plant family includes some really nasty plants, which do contain some fearsome poisons.

However, the enchanters' nightshade is not in fact a member of the nightshade family. Instead, it belongs to the willow herb family which, rather than poisoning, delights us with wonderful displays of vivid pink flowers on the heaths and marshes. Once again, I had to delve into research to discover that this plant also owes its name to a Greek myth.

Apparently, it was this plant that the witch Circe used to turn the crew of Ulysses' ship into pigs.

Fortunately, though, myths are myths and the plant actually has no magical or even herbal properties at all.