Colocasium 



a violent sort of beauty, which commends them to 

 the stoves of Dives, but they do not excite the envy 

 of a mere Corycian. They have, however, some 

 value in sub-tropical gardening. 



Flower, spring. 



Italian name, Colocasia. 



CORIANDRUM. 



'exiguo coriandra trementia filo' (Mor. 90). 



Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is an umbel- 

 laceous plant, a native of the East, and cultivated 

 in very early times for the sake of its seeds. These 

 seeds are mentioned in the Book of Exodus. They 

 were used medicinally and in cakes. The word 

 * filum ' is used of the habit of a plant or possibly 

 of the stem. Our plant has a slender stem, and the 

 poet's description contrasts it with such stout kins- 

 men as ' ferula.' 



Flower, May and June. 



Italian name, Coriandola. 



Cornus. 



' lapidosa . . . corna' (Ae. iii. 649 ; Ge. ii. 34). 



The cornelian cherry (Cornus mas), near akin to 

 our dogwood, is a native of Greece and Italy. It 

 grows to the height of fifteen feet, and in March its 

 yellow flowers are conspicuous on the leafless boughs. 

 It seems to have been for the sake of its flowers that 

 it was first cultivated, for Theophrastus tells us that 



33 D 



