330 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XXI. 



Greek names, little attention having been paid by the framers 

 of our language to this branch of nomenclature. Most of 

 them grow in foreign countries, it is true ; but still, it is our 

 duty to make some mention of them, as it is of Nature in 

 general that we are speaking, and not of Italy in particular. 



CHAP. 29. THE MELOTHROtf, SPIRAEA, AND ORIGANUM. THE 



CNEORUM OR CASSIA ; TWO VARIETIES OF IT. THE MELISSOPHYL- 

 XTJM OR MELITTJ3NA. THE MELILOTE, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS 

 CAMPANIAN GARLAND. 



Thus it is, that we find employed for chaplets, the leaves of 

 the melothron, 92 spiraea, 93 origanum, 94 cneorum, 95 by Hyginus 

 called " cassia,'* conyza or cunilago, 96 melissophyllon or apias- 

 trum, 97 and melilote, known to us by the name of " Campa- 

 nian 98 garland," the best kind of melilote 99 in Italy being that 

 of Campania, in Greece that of Cape Sunium, and next to that 

 the produce of Chalcidice and Crete : but wherever this plant 

 grows it is only to be found in rugged and wild localities. The 

 name " sertula" or "garland," which it bears, sufficiently; 

 proves that this plant was formerly much used in the compo- 

 sition of chaplets. The smell, as well as the flower, closely 

 resembles that of saffron, though the stem itself is white ; the 

 shorter and more fleshy the leaves, the more highly it is 

 esteemed. 



CHAP. 30. THREE VARIETIES OF TREFOIL I THE MYOPHONUM. 



The leaves of -trefoil also are employed for making chaplets. 

 There are three varieties : the first being called by the Greeks 

 sometimes " minyanthes," l and sometimes " asphaltion ;" 

 the leaves of it, which the garland-makers employ, are larger 

 than those of the other kinds. The second variety, known as 



92 Or Yitis alba, " white vine," the Bryonia dioica of modern botany. 

 See B. xxiii. c. 16. 



93 The Spiraea salicifolia of Linnaeus, or meadowsweet. 



94 See B. xx. c. 67, and c. 30 of this Book. 



95 The Daphne Cnidium of Linnaeus. See B. xxiii. c. 35 ; also B. xii. 

 c. 43. It is altogether different from the Laurus cassia, or genuine cassia. 



96 See B. xx. c. 63. 97 See B. xx. c. 45. 



98 *' Sertula Campana." 



99 Most probably, Fee thinks, the Trifolium Melilotus officinalis, a 

 clover, or trefoil. 



1 The Psoranthea bituminosa of Linnaeus. It is found on declivities 

 near the sea-coast, in the south of Europe. 



