SARCOCOLLA. 169 
Pliny, and of particular value because not written for the learned, 
but for the people, taking both his numerous Gallic names * and 
his description of remedies and properties not from books, but 
from the mouth of the people ; ‘‘so that,’’ as Meyer remarks, “‘ his 
work becomes the first rudiment of a Flora Gallica,” ‘‘ with many 
Gallic plant-names which he terms Celtic and which he could 
scarcely have found in writing, so that it is surprising that those 
making researches into the history of botany have neglected him 
so long.” 
Among Marcellus’ plant names which are of interest to the 
student of Asters are the following : 
“Sarcocolla + which is Argemonia.’’ Marcellus might be 
printed by Ruel, 1529, in his edition of Celsus, and credited to Vindicianus (an emi- 
nent physician whose letter to the emperor Valentinian, 364-375, is still extant), by 
others ascribed to Sammonicus, but of superior elegance, and differing in pronunciation 
of many plant names, Marcellus saying sinapi, not sinipi as Sammonicus, crocus, not 
crocus, brassica, not brassicum, nasturcum, not nasturcium, etc. 
* The following are examples : 
Artemisia quam Gallice Bricumum appellant 
Herba quae Gallice dicitur Blutthagio 
Chamaeacte, quae Gallice Odocos dicitur 
Papaver sylvestre, quod Gallice Calocatanos dicere 
Serpyllum herba, quam Galli Gilarum vocant 
Trifolium herba, quae Gallice dicitur Visumarus 
Nymphaea, quae Gallice Baditis appellatur 
Herba quae Gallice Vernetus dicitur 
Proserpinalis herba, quae Graece Dracontium, Gallice Gigarus, appellatur (Arum). 
: The occurrence of the word Sarcocolla in Greek and Latin is as name of a Per- 
Sian gum, described by Dioscorides 3, 89 (99, edn. Saracenus) as follows : 
** Sarcocolla, capxoxo/Aa [literally ‘*flesh-glue ” because healing wounds], is the tear 
or exudation (daxpiov) of a tree growing in Persia ; it is slightly brownish, has a bitterish 
root of the Arabs, gujara of the Hindoos, who use it still in medicine. It is imported 
from Arabia and Persia in light yellow or reddish grains ; is now thought to come from 
some Astragalus’; had been claimed to be the product of Penaca Sarcocolla L, ; and is 
the origin by transfer of the name of the related South African genus Sarcocolla estab- 
lished by Kunth, 1830. : 
€ name Sarcocolla to Pliny and to Galen was the same as to Dioscorides, the 
name of the gum; but from Marcellus Empiricus’ synonym it seems to have been later 
applied to a plant of similar repute and use; perbaps in Byzantine regions to ‘euaase 
Amellus, with which he may have been familiar both while living at Constantinople 
while passing through mountains of Italy and Gaul ; perhaps to Argemonia in the 
Sense of Papaver, etc., which was also used both for wounds and ulcers and the eyes. 
