Obs. Also 6 fluellyn(g, 6–7 fluellen. [corruption of the Welsh name, llysiau Llewelyn, lit. ‘Llewelyn’s herbs.’ Cf. the proper name Fluellen (= Llewelyn) in Shaks.]
1. A name given to several species of Veronica or Speedwell, esp. V. officinalis.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes (E.D.S.), 88. Veronica groweth in many places of England, and it is called in englishe Fluellyng, in duche Erenprise.
1597. Gerard, Herball, II. cxcvii. (1633), 629. In Welch it is called Fluellen, and the Welch people do attribute great vertues vnto the same.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., II. vi. 101. An herb there is commonly called Betonica Pauli, or Pauls Betony; hereof the people have some conceit in reference to S. Paul; whereas indeed that name is derived from Paulus Ægineta, an ancient Physitian of Ægina, and is no more then Speed-well, or Fluellen.
1756. Watson, in Phil. Trans., XLIX. 807. Male Speedwell, or Fluellin, or True Paul’s Betony.
2. Misapplied to Linaria elatine and L. spuria.
1756. Sir J. Hill, Brit. Herbal, 113. Fluellin. Elatine. The flower is small; it consists of a single petal, and is of the labiated kind.
1816–20. T. Green, Univ. Herbal, I. 108. Antirrhinum Elatine; Sharp-pointed Toad-flax, or Fluellin…. Antirrhinum Spurium; Round-leaved Toad-flax, or Fluellin.
1866. in Treat. Bot.
