Bock on ASTER AS A STELLARIA 343 
“ PLaNTs CALLED STELLARIA 
“The Inguinalis of Dioscorides, so far as I know, I have 
never seen; but I have seen various little blossoms and plants, 
whose heads and whose leaves around the flower’s circle were 
divided into incisions similar to a star. What plant however 
might be the Aster of Dioscorides, Pliny or Apuleius, I do not 
see. For there are very many Stellarias. Caprifolium * or the 
Matris-sylva of Hieronymus (Brunsvicensis) is adorned with stars 
?, é., the narrow stem-leaves form stellate whorls], and is clothed 
with them; and Aparine ¢ is so clothed with little stars, and of 
both of the kinds of Rubia or dyer’s madder, ¢ one kind, a cer- 
tain wild § and starry plant, is not dissimilar in appearance and in 
flower to Caprifolium, although not as Caprifolium so tenacious, 
nor so covered with hooked bristles, but being a succulent and 
smooth herb, like a reed drawn out into a thread, everywhere set 
about with little stars. There is also another herb which is woody 
and altogether like pipe-stems, which is clothed with little leaves 
equally similar to stars, but oblong, and more slender ; with yel- 
low and white flowers, but the inflorescence mossy and dense, 
which our little girls call in their native tongue, Unser lyeben Srawen 
wagstro,§ or Our loved lady’s Way-straw. I have supposed it to 
be the Gallion ** of Dioscorides.” 8 
* Caprifolium here means the modern Asperula or Woodruff ; called **Caprifoliem 
vel Stellaria’’ by Brunfels, Matrisylva by Brunsvicensis, Bock, Cordus, Lonicerus, 
nfe 
and Thal, Hegatica stellata by Tabernaemontanus, Asperula by Dodoens, Lobel, etc. . 
Caprifolium was applied to the honeysuckle by Dodoens, 7 ie Rt i (pu 
B 
rnefort ; 
vicensis in his Apodixis Germanica (in Brunfels, 1531, tom. IT, p. 498)+ 208 #8 
erman ) Wise in Fas Latin Matrisylva or herba es has its lea 
around the stem like a star.’ 
] 
© Aone hice tn ox er, means Galium Aparine L., the Aparine of Pliny, Brunfels, 
and Tearetn om dnapiva of Diosco 
w-flowered stems. "See 
Gallion luteum of Caspar nore 
4% 
© Galium verum L. and of Jean Bauhin; 
(Finax, 335), Galium of Matthioli, Cordus, Lobel, etc., the ydaduov of Dioscorides, 4, 
