232 CHAPTERS ON BRITISH BOTANY. \July , 



is entered among tlie plants of Theophrastus^ but not identified 

 with any species now known. Stackhouse conjectures that M. 

 cordifolia is the anciently known plant,, and quotes Theophras- 

 tus, i. 16; iii. 4; iv. 7 ; v. 6. 



Myrrh IS. This plant is by Stackhouse said to be of uncer- 

 tain class, but enumerated with Anise and Fennel (Hist. vi.). 

 See Stackhouse, 50 ; Bil., 77. Aa-^avov evcrTo/nov, a savoury 

 herb (Theo. de Causis Plant, vi.). 



Napus, vairv. Sinapis nigra (Theo. i. 19; vii. 1). 



Narcissus. The poetic Narcissus is by some assumed to be 

 the plant meant by Theophrastus (see Billerbeck, 86, sub voce) . 

 Sprengel says N. orientalis (Hist. vi. 6; vii. 12). Others say 

 that the Greek Anemones are to be referred hither. Hence it 

 may be inferred that the Narcissus of Theophrastus is not 

 known. It is possible that this renowned ancient botanist did 

 not intend any specific plant, but rather included under this 

 name a number of species, or even genera, that had some re- 

 semblance in leaves, roots, and flowers to the Lilies. Tragus 

 (p. 760) states that Narcissus of Theophrastus is the Colchicum 

 of the mediaeval and modern botanists. We are certain of the 

 poetic name, and of that alone. 



Nardus. No one botanist believes that the apparently worth- 

 less British grass, Nardus stricta, is that which produced the 

 celebrated ancient nard, or spikenard. The plant in question, 

 which produced the precious odoriferous substance which entered 

 into one of the most precious compositions formed by the apothe- 

 cary's art, is believed to be still unknown. See ^Acts of the 

 Eoyal Society of London, 1790.' (Theo. ix. 7.) 



NYMPHiEA. See Lotus, above. Sprengel enters both the 

 white and yellow Waterlily under Nymphcea, and quotes athr) 

 (Hist. iv. 11) for the former, and vvficfjaca (Hist. ix. 13) for the 

 latter. Sibthorp prudently confines his remarks to what Theo- 

 phrastus wrote about them, viz. that they grow in lakes and 

 watery places in Crete, Boeotia, etc., that they have eatable bulbs^ 

 round floating leaves, and styptic properties (Stack. 52). 



CEnanthe. Stackhouse, in his Illustrationes on Theophras- 

 tus^ History, enters the plant therein so called by the Greeks, 

 among the coronal or garland flowers, such as the Violets, the 

 Pinks, the Hemerocallis, and other celebrated floral beauties. 

 Few of the order to which the modern OEnanthe belongs merit a 



