BOOK XXIII. XII. 16-XIV. 19 



are chewed by theniselves for cleausing the mouth 

 and Avith pepper for clearing the head. 



XIII. Wild astaphis, otherwise staphis, wrougly siaphU 

 called by some uva taminia — for that is a distinct staphylagria) 

 plant — with dark, straight stalks and the leaves of 



the wild vine, bears what may be called more 

 correctly pods rather than grapes, green and Uke 

 chickpeas, with a three-cornered stone in them. 

 It ripens at harvest time and grows dark, whereas 

 we are familiar with the red grapes of the tamiuian 

 viue, aud also know that staphis grows on suuuy 

 sites, while the tamiuiau viue is fouud ouly ou shady 

 spots. I should uot recommend the use of these 

 stoues as a purge owiug to the danger of choking, nor 

 yet to dry p^ilegm iu the moutli, because it is injurious 

 to the throat. Pouuded they rid the head of Hce, as 

 well as the rest of the body, aud the more readily if 

 saudarach be mixed with them, and also cure 

 pruritus and itch scab. A decoctiou in vinegar is 

 made for toothache, for afFectious of the ears, for 

 fluxes from scars " and for running ulcers. The 

 pounded flowers are takeu in wine to couuteract the 

 poison of serpents; the seed however I should reject 

 because of its excessive heat. Some call the plant 

 pituitaria. Serpent bites in particular are treated by 

 applications of it. 



XIV. Labrusca too produces oeuanthe, already wudvine 

 sufiiciently described by me ; it is called by the ^.17^.^"^,^^. 

 Greeks the wild viue, with thick whitish leaves, 

 joiuted stem and a bark covered with fissures. It 

 bears grapes red like the scarlet berry, which clear 



the faces of womeu, removiug blotches, while 

 pounded and used with the leaves and juice they are 

 good for sciatica and lumbago. A decoction of the 



427 



