731 The Aristolochia clematis of Linnæus, almost identical with the Aristolochia Cretica and Bætica.

732 The Aristolochia plistolochia of Linnæus, the Spanish branching stemmed birthwort. Fée thinks that these identifications, though probable enough, are not altogether satisfactory, and that the Greeks may have made these distinctions between varieties of the plant comparatively unknown to the rest of Europe. They are no longer held in any esteem for their medicinal properties.

733 See B. xxvi. c. 91.

734 “With many roots.”

735 See B. xxvi. c. 62.

736 See c. 6 of this Book.

737 See cc. 11, 12, 13, 14, of this Book.

738 See B. xx. c. 61.

739 See B. xxiv. c. 80.

740 See c. 15 of this Book.

741 See c. 27 of this Book.

742 See c. 35 of this Book.

743 See c. 50 of this Book.

744 See B. xvi. c. 24.

745 See c. 54 of this Book. As Fée remarks, these asserted remedies for the stings of serpents are not deserving of discussion.

746 The Papaver argemone of Linnæus, the Rough poppy. It is a native of France, and many other parts of Europe.

747 This, Fée remarks, is not stated by Dioscorides, whose description is more correct.

748 It is supposed by commentators that he is in error here, and that this description applies to the Lappa canaria, mentioned in B. xxiv. c. 116.

749 The root of the Papaver argemone has no such smell.

750 See B. xxi. c. 94, B. xxiv. c. 116, and B. xxvi. c. 59.

751 The Boletus agaricum of Aiton, or White agaric. It is a strong purgative, but is rarely used for that purpose.

752 This distinction into male and female is no longer recognized, though it continued to be so till within the last century.

753 Desfontaines identifies it with the Saponaria ocimoïdes. Fée thinks it may have possibly been some kind of sage, or else a variety of the Lavendula stœchas of Linnæus, French lavender. Littré gives the Silene Gallica of Linnæus, the Gallic catchfly.

754 Identified by Fée with the Pseudanchusa, Echis, or Doris of B. xxii. c. 24, the Anchusa Italica of Linnæus. Littré gives the Echium rubrum of Linnæus.

755 The Arctium lappa of Linnæus, probably, our Great clot-burr. See B. xxi. c. 51.

756 See B. xxi. c. 64.

757 “Holy plant.”

758 “Pigeon plant.”

759 Our “vervain.” It was much used in philtres, and was as highly esteemed as the mistletoe by the people of Gaul. It is no longer used in medicine.

760 In B. xxii. c. 3.

761 On the occasion of the Feasts of Jupiter in the Capitol, prepared by the Septemviri.

762 The Verbena supina of Linnæus, Recumbent vervain.

763 The Verbena officinalis of Linnæus, Vervain or holy plant.

764 See c. 73 of this Book.

765 Mostly identified with the third Phlomos, mentioned in c. 74 of this Book. Littré gives as its synonym the Phlomis fruticosa of Linnæus, Jerusalem sage, or tree-sage.

766 “Blattæ.”

767 Not the “Limonion” of B. xx. c. 28, as the Statice limonium emits no juice. Desfontaines identifies it with the Scolymos or Limonia of B. xxii. c. 43; but Fée is inclined to think that Pliny is speaking of the Atractylis gummifera, but has made a mistake in the name.

768 Or “five-leaved.” Most probably the Potentilla reptans of Linnæus, our Cinquefoil, or Five-leaved grass. Sprengel, however, identifies it with the Tormentilla reptans of Linnæus, the Tormentil; and other authorities with the Potentilla rupestris of Linnæus.

769 Its fruit is dry, and bears no resemblance to the strawberry.

770 “Five-leaved.”

771 “Creeping on the ground.”

772 Identified by Fée with the Sparganium ramosum of Linnæus, or Branchy burr-reed. Littré gives the Butonus umbellatus of Linnæus, the Flowering rush, or Water gladiole.

773 Fée remarks, that the account given by Pliny has not the same precision as that of Dioscorides, who describes three varieties of the Daucus.

774 Fée is inclined to identify the Daucus of Crete and Achaia with the Daucus Creticus of Fuchsius, the Athamanta annua of Linnæus. Desfontaines identifies it with the Athamanta Cretensis of Linnæus.

775 This kind is identified by Fée with the Seseli ammoïdes of Linnæus, and by Littré with the Ammi majus of Linnæus, the Common or Greater bishop’s weed.

776 Identified by Sprengel with the Daucus Mauritanicus, and by Brotero and Desfontaines with the Daucus carota, var. α, our Common carrot. Fée seems inclined to identify it with the Athamanta cervaria of Linnæus, Mountain carrot, or Broad-leaved spignel. The account given by Pliny is, however, a mass of confusion.

777 Or “wild parsnip.” See B. xix. c. 27.

778 For the purpose of expelling the dead fœtus, according to Dioscorides, B. iii. c. 83.

779 See B. xxiv. c. 102. The plant here spoken of has not been identified, but the Epilobium angustifolium, montanum, tetragonum, &c., varieties of the Willow-herb, have been suggested. They are destitute, however, of all poisonous qualities.

780 Hence its name—“Benumbing wild beasts.”

781 Fée thinks that there is an error in the name, and that it is the “personata” that is here spoken of, the plant already mentioned in c. 58 of this Book. Hardouin identifies it with the Tussilago petasites—the Butter-burr, according to Nemnich—but apparently without any sufficient authority.

782 Fée identifies it with the Cyclamen hederæfolium of Aiton, the Ivy-leaved sow-bread; Littré with the Cyclamen Græcum of Lamarck.

783 “Tuberosity of the earth.”

784 “Suum venenum ei est.” Gerard seems to have had a worse opinion of it than our author; for he states in his Herbal, p. 845, that he had experienced great misfortunes owing to his imprudence in having cultivated Cyclamen in his garden.

785 “Ivy-flowered.” It resembles the other plant in nothing but the name. Fée is inclined, with Desfontaines, to identify it with the Lonicera caprifolium of Linnæus, the Italian honeysuckle, though that plant bears no resemblance in either leaf or flower to the ivy. The Lonicera periclymenum of Linnæus, the Common woodbine or honeysuckle, has been also suggested, as well as the Bryonia alba, Solanum dulcamara, and Cucubalus bacciferus.

786 According to Brotero, it is the Parnassia palustris of Tournefort, an opinion with which Fée is inclined to agree. Sprengel considers it to be the same as the Convallaria bifolia of Linnæus, our Small lily of the valley, and identifies it with the one-leafed Ceratia of B. xxvi. c. 34. Littré names the Antirrhinum asarina of Linnæus, the Bastard asarum.

787 The Peucedanum officinale of Linnæus, Sulphur-wort, or Hog’s fennel. It receives its name from a fancied resemblance between its fruit and that of the “Peuce,” or pitch-tree.

788 This juice, Fée remarks, is no longer known.

789 Or Wall-wort. See B. xxiv. c. 35. and B. xxvi. c. 49.

790 See c. 28 of this Book.

791 See c. 54 of this Book.

792 Identified by Fée with the Verbascum thapsus of Linnæus, Great mullein, High-taper, or Cow’s lung-wort.

793 Identified by Fée with the Verbascum sinuatum of Linnæus. Desfontaines considers this to be the male plant of Pliny, and the V. thapsus to be the female.

794 Fée considers this to be the same as the Blattaria mentioned in c. 60, and identifies it with the Verbascum phlomoïdes of Linnæus. Sprengel and Desfontaines consider it to be the Phlomis lychnitis of Linnæus. Littré gives the Phlomus fruticosa of Linnæus, the Jerusalem sage, or Tree sage.

795 See B. xxii. c 71.

796 Fée identifies these two kinds with the Phlomis fruticosa of Linnæus; Sprengel and Desfontaines consider the second kind to be the Phlomis Italica of Smith; on insufficient grounds, Fée thinks. Littré mentions the Sideritis Romana and S. elegans of Linnæus.

797 The “Lamp plant.” It is mostly identified with the Verbascum lychnitis of Linnæus, the White mullein. Fée is somewhat doubtful on the point. It is doubtful whether it is not the same as the Thryallis, mentioned in B. xxi. c. 61. Littré identifies it with the Phlomis lychnitis.

798 In the last paragraph he is speaking of the Phlomos, here he evidently reverts to the Phlomis.

799 Or “Female killer.” See B. xxvii. c. 2.

800 Dioscorides states, somewhat more rationally, that this plant strikes the scorpion with torpor, and that the contact of hellebore revives it.

801 “Rubetis.” A kind of toad, probably. See B. viii. c. 48, B. xi. c. 16, and B. xxxii. c. 18.

802 Schneider, on Nicander’s Alexiph. p. 277, says that he cannot understand this passage. There is little doubt that Sillig is right in his conjecture that it is imperfect, for the pith of the narrative, whatever it may have been, is evidently wanting. The Psylli were said to be proof against all kinds of poisons. See B. viii. c. 38, and B. xi. c. 30; also Lucan’s Pharsalia, B. ix. l. 192, et seq.

803 See also B. xxvii. c. 97. Fée identifies it with the Astragalus Creticus of Lamarck, Desfontaines with the Astragalus poterium.

804 The “nerve-plant” and the “drinking-plant,” apparently.

805 Sprengel identifies it with the Alisma Parnassifolium of Linnæus; but as that plant is not found in Greece, Sibthorp suggests the Alisma plantago of Linnæus, the Great water-plantain. It has no medicinal properties, though it was esteemed till very recent times as curative of hydrophobia.

806 “Capite thyrsi.”

807 See B. ix. c. 72, and B. xxxii. c. 3.

808 In c. 6 of this Book.

809 “Pigeon-plant.” The same as Vervain, already described in c. 59 of this Book.

810 See c. 8 of this Book.

811 By “Mithridatia” he probably means the antidotes attributed to Mithridates in c. 3 of this Book, and in B. xxix. c. 8, and not the plant previously mentioned in c. 26.

812 See c. 27 of this Book.

813 See c. 54 of this Book.

814 See c. 55.

815 Generally identified with the Antirrhinum Orontium of Linnæus, Small toad-flax, Calf’s snout, or Lesser wild snapdragon. Desfontaines mentions the Antirrhinum purpureum, and Littré the A. majus of Linnæus, the Common snapdragon, or Greater calf’s snout.

816 “Wild lychnis.”

817 Theophrastus says, B. ix. c. 21, speaking of the last-mentioned plant, “The same too, with reference to glory and consideration.” Pliny, singularly enough, has mistaken the Greek word “eucleia” (glory) for the name of a plant, and has fabricated one accordingly: a similar blunder to that made by him with reference to “hippace,” in c. 44 of this Book.

818 See c. 36 of this Book.

819 Fée is inclined to identify it with the Bulbine of B. xx. c. 41 probably the Hyacinthus botryoïdes of Linnæus, the Blue grape hyacinth. Brotero and Desfontaines name the Hyacinthus comosus, the Purple grape hyacinth. Littré mentions the Ornithogalum nutans of Linnæus, the May star of Bethlehem.

820 Identified by Fée with the Bulbus vomitorius or Bulb emetic of B. xx. c. 41, the same, in his opinion, with the Narcissus jonquilla, the Emetic jonquil. Sprengel, however, would identify the Bulbus vomitorius with either the Narcissus orientalis or the Pancratium Illyricum; and Sibthorp considers its synonym to be the Ornithogalum stachyoïdes of Aiton. Littré gives the Muscari comosum.

821 See c. 13 of this Book.

822 See c. 37 of this Book, and B. xxvi. c. 28.

823 There seems to be an hiatus here. From the words of Dioscorides, B. iii. c. 138, it would appear that pitch was the other ingredient, to be beaten up with the plant.

824 The same as the Polytrichos of B. xxii. c. 30.

825 In B. xxii. c. 30, he makes them to be the same plant, and it is most probable that they may be both referred to the Asplenium trichomanes of Linnæus.

826 “Frutice.”

827 See B. xxiv. c. 108.

828 See c. 11 of this Book.

829 See c. 54 of this Book.

830 See c. 49 of this Book.

831 See c. 67 of this Book.

832 Or Vervain.

833 Sprengel identified this plant at first with the Buplevrum longifolium of Linnæus, the Long-leaved hare’s ear, but at a later period with the Mercurialis tomentosa, the Woolly mercury. Fée suggests the Cacalia petasites or albifrons, though with diffidence. Littré gives the Cacalia verbascifolia of Sibthorp.

834 See c. 83 of this Book; also B. xxii. c. 30, and B. xxvii. c. 111.

835 There has been much discussion on the identification of the Hyssopum of the ancients, their descriptions varying very considerably. It has been suggested that that of the Egyptians was the Origanum Ægyptianum; that of the Hebrews, the Origanum Syriacum; that of Dioscorides, the Origanum Smyrnæum; and that of the other Greek writers, the Teuerium pseudo-hyssopus, or else the Thymbra verticillata and spicata. Fée is inclined to identify that here mentioned by Pliny with the Thymbra spicata of Linnæus, and the Garden hyssop of Dioscorides, with the Hyssopus officinalis of Linnæus. Littré states, however, that this last is a stranger to Greece, and that M. Fräas (Synopsis, p. 182) identifies the hyssop of Dioscorides with the Origanum Smyrnæum or Syriacum.

836 Generally identified with the Serapias lingua of Linnæus.

837 The same, most probably, as the Gladiolus of B. xxi. c. 67. See also the next Chapter in this Book.

838 This was a characteristic feature of the masks used in the Roman Comedy.

839 See Note 837 above. The medicinal properties here attributed to the Xiphion, or Gladiolus communis, our common Red corn-flag, are very doubtful, as Fée remarks.

840 With the outer coat on, of course.

841 Dalechamps is probably right in preferring the reading “carpentis” to “serpentis,” in which case the meaning would be, “or bones when accidentally crushed by the wheels of vehicles.”

842 Or “meagrim.”

843 Identified with the Plantago Psyllium of Linnæus, our Fleawort Fleaseed, or Fleabane.

844 Nothing, Fée says, can be more absurd than this description of the plant.

845 Whence its name “cynoïdes” and “cynomyia.”

846 This plant has not been identified; Wild water-parsley, perhaps a kind of Sium, has been suggested.

847 All the plants here mentioned are of a more or less irritating nature, and would greatly imperil the sight.

848 See c. 50 of this Book.

849 See c. 11 of this Book.

850 See B. xviii. c. 14, and B. xxii. c. 59.

851 “Collyriis.”

852 A most dangerous application, in reality.

853 A comparatively harmless, though useless application.

854 See c. 49 of this Book.

855 See c. 73 of this Book.

856 In c. 70 of this Book.

857 See c. 90 of this Book.

858 The Corchorus of B. xxi. c. 106, is most probably altogether a different plant.

859 Identified with the Anagallis arvensis of Linnæus, with a red flower, the Red pimpernel, Corn pimpernel, or Shepherd’s weather-glass.

860 The Anagallis cæruleo flore of Tournefort, the Blue pimpernel.

861 In reality they are destitute of medicinal properties. It is said, though apparently on no sufficient grounds, that red pimpernel is poisonous to small birds.

862 Or “blood-shot eyes.”

863 A disease of the pupil.

864 Belladonna, a preparation from the Atropa belladonna, is now generally used for this purpose.

865 “Paracentesis.”

866 This plant is unknown. Fée suggests that Pliny may have made a mistake, and that the account from which he copies may have been, that when cattle have been stung by the asilus, or gadfly, they have recourse to the Anagallis.

867 “Savage eye.”

868 In c. 38 of this Book.

869 See B. xviii. c. 44, and B. xxi. c. 63.

870 Or “Plant of Circe.”

871 Identified by Fée with the Atropa mandragora vernalis of Bertolini, the Spring mandrake.

872 The Atropa mandragora autumnalis of Bertolini, the Autumnal mandrake.

873 The Greek for “male.”

874 “Dementing.” Fée remarks that the “Morion” in reality is a different plant, and queries whether it may not be the Atropa belladonna of Linnæus, the Belladonna, or Deadly nightshade, mentioned above in Note 864.