THE REAL SHAMROCK

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 574, 4 July 1933, Page 7

THE REAL SHAMROCK

IDENTITY CONSIDEREI) TO BE THE WHITE DUTCH CLOYER. Had you ben walking the streets of old Engiand on St. Patrick's Day during the reign of Queen Elizaheth yon would have noticed that the Irishmen you met were wearing on. their cloaks or jerkins a sprig of watercress, for in those days watercress was regarded as the plant which St. Patrick gathered to illustrate the doctrine of the Trinity, says a wrAter in the Daily Mail. Yet the" leaf of the watercress hears little resemblance to the shamrock which, as we all know, is the national emiblem of Ir eland. It does not do toi he too dogmatic regarding the identity of the real shamrock, but it is certain that it was one of the plants belonging to the Trifolium family, although the sorrel long beld the place of honour as St. Patrick's plant. There are two plants now authoritatively stated to he the true shamrock; the white (or Dutch) clover and the yellow-flowered suckling clover. The leaves of b'oth these clovers are divided into three small heart-shaped leaflets, and it is now generally agreed that St. Patrick plucked a sprig of one of these clovers to prove to his congregation the possibility of a Trinity in unity, pointing out how its three leaves are united on one stalk. The oldest of all the national flowerws is the violet, which was- used by the citizens of Athens in the days of its iglory. N'ext tb this comes the shamrock of Ireland, hut it is not the

bloom of the flower that.is used, because on St. Patrick's Day the clover is not dn bloom, so it has always heen customary to " wear a sprig of the leaves. In the ancient herbals clovers is spelt "claver," from the Anglo-Saxon word "ceoefer' and the Dutch "klaver." According to Prior (a great authority on plant names) it is a Frisaan word meaning "clubs." Many varieties of clover are offered. for sale on St. Patrick's Day, and all look much alike. The tref oil or yellow clover is one of these. Although it resembles th'e clover it is not a true clover, ibeing a member of the lucerne family. The Irisbman who wishes to be stniotiy correct will wear in his buttonhole on St. Patrick's Day a sprig of the white Dutch clover or the suckling clover.