256 ' AsTER History; PLATEARIO 
Proceeding as it does from the south of Italy, there was little 
likelihood that Aster would be itself described or recognized in 
Circa instans. But various relatives appear which were formerly 
lodged in Aster, and now abide in Inula, Pulicaria, Anthemis, ete. 
We pause a moment to take inventory of the status in which this 
center station of the middle ages shows these and some related 
plants ;—in this Circa instans, in which appears the mediaeval spirit 
with its name Se/anum mortale for Belladonna, which still retains 
its Pollium from the ancient theogony of Hesiod, and yet in which 
the modern world meets us full-grown in such names as Primula 
veris, Sumac and Alkekengi.* 
Aster Earths.—Still survives in Circa instans the use of the term 
Aster for an earth, the Aster leucas, Aster Samius and later the 
Terra Aster of Greece, Terra stelle of Plateario, who writes : 
“Terra stelle, quod Lucanium (7. ¢., the ancient aster leucas, 
assimilated to the Italian province Lucania) dicitur, terra est quasi- 
lapis ;” in Sec. “ terre estoille.” 
The old habit of stamping such earths with a seal still remained, 
as well as that of palming off substitutes and adulterations : 
“Terra sigillata; calx est odorifera et dicitur serra argentea vel 
creta sarracenica ; facile ex nostra creta sophisticatur ;” in Sis 
“terre scelle,” etc. 
Aster Tripolium. Turbith, used as the Arabic for Aster Tn- 
polium L., was more commonly used as Arabic for another plant, 
an imported root, so appearing first in Costantino (p. 235), here 
again as “7urbith, an herb which is found in parts beyond sea.” T 
Relatives of Aster sometimes Confused with wt 
174. “Enuwla . . . duplex est manieres, seu ortulano (Znula 
Conyza DC.) et campana (J. Helenium L.). The larger is mor 
efficacious ; it heals the bowels.” In Sec., “ Enula which they 
call Eaune; the E. campana grows in plains champs.” 
47. Anthemis Cotula L. appears as Arthemisia letaphilos, 
matricaria ; with remark, “ flos ejus similitur camomille et habet 
in his 
bers used, and identifications, are those of Camus as published 
um 
ve , . - 
L’ Opera Salernitana.’’ Sec. refers to the French version, Secres dé Salerno 
ee) ittle 
as ‘* Turbith, cest la racine d’ung arbre”’; in the A/phia (a Titel 
identifies 
tin Sec. 
later?) as ‘* Turdbith radix et herbe similia trifolio, et est perforata.’? Camus } 
it as probably including /pomoca Turpethum L. 
Se ies yl 
