SPANISH PLANT-NAMES 177 
arum, the “ Proserpinalis herba’”’ of Marcellus Empiricus ; and the 
“Proserpinaca’’ of Apuleius Platonicus, said by him to be poly- 
gonum. 
XXI. Isiporus 
Isidorus Hispalensis,* Visigothic bishop of Seville, 596 A. D., 
who died in 636, a compiler who has been called a second Pliny, 
was the author of ‘ Origines,” or Etymologies, ‘‘ Etymologiae ”’ 
as he himself termed his work in a letter to his friend Braulio. His’ 
work contains absurd etymologies and childish definitions, but is 
particularly full regarding medical terms, remedies, etc., arranging 
plants according to use as e/ectuaria, cataplasmata, etc. He often 
gives the Greek and Latin synonyms with a Spanish name 7 also ; 
sometimes the Spanish name only, as in his Herbitum (mod. 
Sp. Erbato,t = Foeniculum), his Turbiscus (mod. Sp. Torvisco, 
= Daphne Mezereum). His names of interest as concerning 
Aster include Buphthalmus, 9, 93, and the following : 
_ “Strychnos, Latine Herba salutaris vocatur (which latter name 
he also cites for Rosmarinum) et Uva lupina,” 9, 78; meaning Soal- 
anum nigrum? Did Bock know of this last name Uva lupina as 
applied to Strychnos or Strumus herba (confused with Aster ?) 
when he made his own Uva lupina an Aster? 
Alam or Alant, “Inula quam Alam rustici vocant, 
Il, paragraph 9g, edn. Otto : = Inula Helenium. 
“Erigeron, Latini Senecionem vocant,’’ 9, 53- 
Malomellus, 7, 5. ‘Mella, Graece Lotos, vulgo Faba Syriaca,”’ 
LB) 
chapter 
G., Cl 
t His Spanish vernacular names include Matris animuda for thyme, Sarralia for the 
Lactuca agrestis of the Romans, Nepeta for their Menda agrestis (Nepeta Cataria L.) 
Genicularis herba, Nixa for their Prunus, Millimindrum for henbane (“ Hyosquiamos, 
. Latinis dicta Herba calicularis, vocatur et Herba insana, vulgo Millimindrum ”” ) ; 
Stingum for Gr. Satyrion or Orchis; Radix (radish) for Raphanus. 
_ 4 Not only do many such old names survive in Spain, but the whole mi 
“ent plant-lore ; the Spanish translation of Dioscorides being still, it is said, the ac- 
cepted botanical standard. 
hole mass of an- 
ant 
