59 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [ JANUARY 
Was at that time “Ros coeli” or ‘“ Himmel-dau,” perhaps taken from 
its ability to retain the dew. This is the grass, Dodoens says, which 
Leonicenus and Ruellius have identified as the one formerly known as | 
Capriola or Sanguinaria. Only three years after Dodoens we find 
Sanguinella and Capriola as synonyms for Gramen Manne in the | 
writings of Camerarius, followed by the very important statement that 
this grass, whose figure bears great resemblance to Panicum sanguinale ~ 
but not to Cynodon, was eaten by the Germans. a 
There exists no record heretofore that the grains of Cynodon have ~ 
ever been gathered for eating, inasmuch as this grass yields butarela- _ 
tively small number of mature seeds, a fact that is perhaps due to its 
extensive propagation by stolons. No mention is made in the elabo- — 
rate works of: Clusius of either Capriola or Sanguinaria. He merely 
describes Gramen legitimum and Ischaemon, in which our two plants — 
seem to have been badly confounded. In accordance with Camera- — 
rius, Dalechamps describes “ Grame de Manna,” the figure of whichis , 
very characteristic, and shows us Panicum sanguinale without any ques — 
tion. He enumerates as synonyms Capriola and Sanguinella, and states 
that this plant is cultivated in south Europe. He has also described i | 
and figured Cynodon, which he calls “ Dent de chien,”’ but does not 4 
with one word allude to its possible identity with the former. This is 
Perhaps the earliest record of a popular French name for Cynodon, 
which in later years became transcribed into ‘‘Chien-dent.” The 
manna-grass has thus begun to be more generally adopted for our 
Panicum, and becomes also used in England, where Gerarde takes 
Up as his “ Gramen Manna esculentum, the dew-grass,” the last of which 
was evidently derived from Dodoens’ “ Ros coeli.” A second species 
1S Gerarde’s “ Jschaemon vulgare, the cock’s-foot grasse,” which is 
Ss jose as to represent Panicum slabrum, while in his a 
ees dates ones we are able to recognize Cynodon. : ~ i 
see we nson has also adopted “* cock’s-foot grasse ’ for 7 : 
, atin name he gives as /schaemon sylvestre, while he ai» 
Cynodon Gramen Canarium Pekan paxtiules. & singulat confusion 
aS regards the name is to be observed in Johannes Bauhin’s Historia 
Plantarum, where Panicum sanguinale is figured, but named Gramins 
Sti se sored Spas states in a small paragraph, mea ee 
Seugatith: = ‘_ the identity of Visieg grass with Caprio ee 
wie cnet pk from the ancient writers, can be ascey 
: €s€ grasses were distinguished, nevertheless, 
