376 pp. Color plates from watercolors by Grania Langrishe. Vervain (BeirbhÉine) protects against evil and witchcraft. Put nine sprigs of yarrow in your right stocking, put the stocking so adorned under your pillow, repeat the verse provided and you will dream of your future husband. Enthusiast Mac Coitir's text, which includes an essay on plant folklore in Ireland, two dozen entries for major plants and nearly 30 more for minor plants, is beautifully illustrated by Grania Langrishe with watercolors and precise line art. Mac Coitir concentrates on native plants that have folklore about them, like primrose, nettle, watercress, bracken, ivy, dandelion, thistle and grasses rather than cultivated plants or those without stories, and includes a host of beliefs about what the plants do for humans.
