80 WILD FLOWERS. 



nifies hop-gardens. It is supposed that Pliny, in 

 his Lupus salictarius, means the hop, which he 

 affirms is eaten, and grows in willow-plantations. 

 In speaking thus he probably refers to the use 

 still prevalent amongst us of the young shoots 

 as a spring vegetable, which closely resemble aspa- 

 ragus in flavour, or to their employment, as men- 

 tioned by Gerarde, in salads (where, as he observes, . 

 quoting Pliny, "they are more toothsome than 

 nourishing"),* rather than to the use of the flowers 

 in flavouring beer. Cato, " De Re Rustica" de- 

 scribes a twining plant, which appears to mean 

 the hop, as an excellent food for cattle. And the 

 Arabian physician, Mesne, who died about 845, 

 prescribes it under the name of Lupulus, as a 

 medicine. In which form it is still sometimes 

 used as a sedative, stomachic, tonic, and its flowers 

 are occasionally made into a pillow to procure 

 sleep; though Gerarde tells us that they "hurte 

 the head with their strong smelling." He adds, 

 however, that they are good for the liver when 



HOP. Humulus lupultis. (Female blossom.) 



taken internally, cure agues when boiled in whey, 

 * See Hollande's translation. 



