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Kannustiiva (Kannustiib)
Two sorts: jalaka-kannustiib, the white letter hairstreak, Strymonidia w-album; and toominga-kannustiib, the black hairstreak butterfly, S. pruni. Part of a swarm of butterflies in the Lepiku District. Why are their young called caterpillars and not buttermaggots? (Actually, the word comes from Old French: chatepelose, hairy cat, reminiscent of woolly bears, see Piksepeni), later modified by the verb piller, to pillage, plunder, reflected in the Estonian name: röövik, plunderer, robber, etc.). See also Kedriku.
Kantsi (Kants)
Citadel, stronghold, bulwark, tower. Named after former military training facilities.
Käokannu (Käokannus)
Toadflax. Lit. cuckoo’s spur, Linaria spp. Two species common to Estonia: harilik käokannus, common toadflax, or ‘butter-and-eggs’, L. vulgaris, and joonik käokannus, pale toadflax, L. repens, both, oddly, seemingly, also known as common chaenorhinum.
Käokäpa (Käokäpp)
Cowslip. Lit. cuckoo’s claw. Seems to be one of the dozen or so names for the harilik Nurmenukk, Primula veris. According to Darwin: the “cowslip is habitually visited during the day by the larger humble-bees [...] and at night by moths”. One of the Mähe flower-name group, see Küüvitsa.







