LANDMARKS OF BOTANICAL HISTORY — GREENE I 77 



see no likeness or other sign of true affinity between these; and it is 

 very probable that Brunfels himself realized how very distinct they 

 are when considered from the morphological rather than the 

 remedial point of view; for when he formally designated one of 

 them Verbena mas and the other Verbena fcemina it is beyond 

 question that he was purposely indicating the morphological dis- 

 tinctions between them; quite as he had done in assigning to those 

 two morphologically dissimilar liverworts each a generic name 

 of its own. And according to the usage of Brunfels' time, as well 

 as for two centuries later, binary generic names like Verbena 

 mascula and Verbena fcemina were thought as suitable, and were as 

 freely made and admitted, as those of one word only. 



Of such attempted improvements in classification by appeal to 

 considerations of morphology, one may come to a fuller appreciation 

 by looking into Brunfels' way of presenting those many herbs which, 

 in his time, had long been reputed to be good vulneraries, and 

 had therefore passed under the medico-generic name of Consolida, 

 with which Symphytum, Sanicula, Vulneraria, and Solidago were 

 synonymous, each such name indicative of the property which 

 these plants all had, or were believed to have, of promoting the 

 closing-up and healing of cuts and wounds. Here is a partial 

 list of these plants under their mediaeval names, with their equiva- 

 lents in modern nomenclature : 



Mediaeval' Modem 



Consolida major Symphytum officinale 



Consolida media Ajuga reptans 



Consolida minor Sanicula Europaea 



Consolida petraea Coris Monspeliensis 



Consolida regalis Delphinium consolida 



Consolida rubea Tormentilla erecta 



One thus gains an idea of how great a diversity of plants passed 

 with mediaeval pharmacists and physicians under the generic name 

 Consolida. And the list must now be given again, that the Brun- 

 felsian taxonomic betterment of it may as readily be seen: 



Mediaeval Brunfelsian 



Consolida major Consolida major 



Consolida media Consolida media 



Consolida minor Diapensia 



Consolida petraea Symphyton petraeum 



Consolida regalis Consolida regalis 



Consolida rubea Tormentilla 



