‘A very general name for Arum maculatum L., given in reference to the dark and light spadices, the dark being the lords, the light the ladies’ (Britten & Holland, Plant-n.).

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1760.  J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 317. Lords and Ladies, Arum.

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1821.  Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 99. Oft under trees we nestled in a ring, Culling out ‘lords and ladies.’

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1901.  T. Cooke-Trench, in Longm. Mag., April, 533. She accordingly set boys to collect roots of lords and ladies.

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