BOOK XII. XXVII, 47-xxviii. 49 



XX\ II. Hazelwort also has the property of nard, iiazeiwort. 

 indeed some people actually call it ' wild nard.' It 

 has the leaves of the ivy, only rounder and softer, a 

 purple flower, the root of GalHc nard, and seed Hke 

 grape-stones, which has a warm taste with a flavour 

 of wine. On shady mountains it flowers twice a 

 year. The best variety grows in Pontus, the next 

 best in Phrygia and the third in Illyricum. When it 

 begins to shed its leaves it is dug up and dried in the 

 sun, as it quickly becomes mouldy and loses its 

 strength. A plant has also lately been found in 

 Thrace the leaves of which do not differ at afl from 

 the Indian nard. 



XX\TII. The clustered amomum" is much in use ; Anumum. 

 it is obtained from the Indian wild-vine, or as other 

 people have supposed from a twisted shrub a hand 

 high, and it is plucked with its root and then gently 

 pressed together into bundles, as it is Hable to 

 break at once. The kind most highly spoken of 

 is the one with leaves Hke those of the pomegranate 

 and devoid of wrinkles, coloured red. The second 

 best kind is of a pale colour ; the grass-coloured one 

 is not so good, and the white kind is the worst; 

 it also goes white with age. The price of clustered 

 amomum is 60 denarii a pound, but as dust it fetches 

 only 48 denarii. It grows in the part of Armenia 

 caHed Otene, and also in Media and in Pontus.* 

 It is adulterated with the leaves of the pome- 

 granate and with Hquid gum to make the leaves stick 

 together and form a cluster Hke a bunch of grapes. 



There is also another substance caHed amomis, Amomu. 

 which is not so fuH of veins and is harder and has 

 less scent, showing that it is either a different plant 

 or amomum that has been gathered unripe. 



35 



