Trees, Shrubs, and Plants of Virgil 



and learnt from them that there was no known 

 antidote. 



Flower, July and August. 

 Aesculus : see Robur. 



Alga. 



' saxa frenunt laterique illisa refunditur alga' (Ae. vii. 590). 

 ' proiecta vilior alga' (Ec. vii. 42). 



This was a general name for various kinds of sea- 

 weed. They are not entirely worthless, for one yields 

 a red dye, and Palladius was aware of their value 

 as manure. Columella also recommends its use in 

 transplanting cabbage. Dulse appears to have been 

 unknown. Since much of the seaweed cast up on 

 the shore was wasted, and that which was used cost 

 no more than the labour of moving it, seaweed came 

 to be a synonym for what is worthless. 



Alium. 



'alia serpyllumque herbas contundit olentes ' (Ec. ii. n). 



That Virgil is justified in the epithet which he 

 assigns to garlic (Allium sativum) no one who has 

 sat beside an Italian or Sicilian driver will care to 

 dispute. The plant is Asiatic, but early found its 

 way into Greece and Italy, and in both countries 

 it was regarded as giving both courage and strength 

 to him that ate it. In our passage the leaves are 

 bruised together with thyme for the reapers' midday 

 meal. This salad included flour and cheese with oil 



12 



