22 AstTeR HIsToRY 
Others still, observing that the starlike radiation was placed by 
Dioscorides around the flower, not the stem, found such a flower- 
head in Eryngium, with involucral bracts like rays.* For this pre- 
vailing interpretation, traced to Serapion, the sponsor was Mat- 
_ thaeus Sylvaticus—known as the ‘author of the Pandects,” or 
Pandectarius, and by that name considered and his identification 
condemned by Fuchs, 1531. 
None of these identifiers paid any heed to Dioscorides’ express 
statements that his Aster Atticus produced a flower constructed 
like the daisy; and that its rays were purple; and that its stem- 
leaves were oblong. But presently Valerius Cordus and Fuchs 
and Matthioli observed these neglected but perspicuous characters, 
and the characters led them direct to the plant accepted by Do- — 
doens and Clusius in 1557, and which the world has since followed 
them in calling Aster Atticus, or since Linnaeus, as Aster Amellus. — 
Why that particular species of Aszer rather than any other should — 
have been the one identified, is to be seen at once when we observe 
that it is the only Aster species and also, I think, the only plant 
whatever, which at once fulfills the requirements of occurrence — 
near Athens, of daisy-like flower-heads, purple rays, yellow disk, 
oblong leaves, and conspicuous pubescence. Botanists have ac- — 
cepted the identification ever since ; and about 1786, Sibthorp had : 
the satisfaction of finding it still growing near Athens. | 
The notes which Sibthorp left did not record a vernacular ’ 
name for this Aster, but there appears to be good evidence that : 
the very name used by Dioscorides still survives for it in the ; 
Attic vernacular, in the form astron, derpov. A Greek from — 
Athens tells me of hearing it called datpoy among the people 4 
about 1890 or earlier, when seeing it growing “toward Megara.’ % 
This form dotpov has also begun to appear as its name in diction- | 
guhad of Modern Greek ; as in that of Scarlatos, 1874, and that of — 
Kind, 1876. Other dictionaries give for vernacular for aster 
daxpohodiovdoy, “ daisy. 
Lenz,} in 1859, cites it as Pakcoxpdzys in modern Greek and aS 
the amellus, astro or astere attico of modern Italy. | 
* J. Bauhin, Historia plantarum universalis, 2: 1047. 
¢ Lenz, Botanik in alten Griechen und Rémer, Gotha, 460. 
1859. 
