153 



CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT 



Agamede was acquainted with all the "pharmaka" medicinal plants that the Earth produces — (Horn, 

 il. xi. 739). 



Geranium Robertianum of Europe and the adjoining portion of Asia. Called in Britain herb 

 robertixom at least the Thirteenth century (ms. vocab., and Prior), in Germany " ruprechtskraut " 

 (Grieb) : the " heracleon siderion " supposed to have been discovered by Hercules — (Plin. xxv. 15), 

 termed "sitheritis erakleian " by Cratevas, agglutinating wounds according to Dioscorides, and grow- 

 ing in vineyards and along walls, its single root giving out many coriander-like leaves around smooth 

 tender whitish or reddish stems a span high and bearing small red flowers bitter and viscous to the 

 taste, is referred here by Dodoens p. 62, and Anguillara p. 257 : G. Robertianum was observed by 

 Sibthorp, and Chaubard, in shaded situations in the Peloponnesus and on the Greek islands. West- 

 ward, the "amomum" of Ortus Sanitatis 22 is referred here by Sprengel : G. Robertianum is de- 

 scribed by Brunsfels ii. 37, Fuchsius iii. 206, and Tournefort inst. 268; was observed by Desfontaines 

 in the gardens of Algiers, by Savi in Etruria, and is known to grow throughout middle Europe as far 

 as Denmark and Moscow (fl. Dan. pi. 694, Pers., and Dec ). By European colonists, was carried 

 to Northeast America, where it has become naturalized in our Northern and Middle States, observed 

 by myself among shaded rocks in wild situations ; to Brazil, observed in the streets of Porto Alegre 

 by A. Saint-Hilaire (A. Dec). Employed in Germany according to Prior to cure a disease called 

 " ruprechts-plage ; " and according to Lindley, "a popular remedy in Wales in Nephritic complaints." 



Scropliularia lucida of the East Mediterranean countries. Possibly the plant in question : — 

 the " sitheritis erakleian " as described by Dioscorides, and Pliny, is referred here by Sibthorp, and 

 Sprengel ; and the "sideritin " by some regarded as the " achilleon " is enumerated by Pliny xxv. 19 

 as growing on walls and fetid when bruised: S. lucida is termed "s. saxatilis lucida laserpitii mas- 

 siliensis foliis " by Tournefort inst. 167; was observed by Sibthorp, and Chaubard, on the Greek 

 islands ; is known to grow on Crete and about Naples, and on the walls of Hydrus in Southern 

 Italy (Iiocc. mus. pi. 117, and Pers.). " S. livida " observed by Sibthorp pi. 601 in Asia Minor, but 

 regarded by Borv as not distinct, seems the " aliam sideritin '' of Pliny xxv. 19 growing in vineyards 

 and resembling the preceding, but having whiter and more fleshy leaves. 



Hcraileujn sphondylium of Europe, Northern Asia, and Northwest America. Called in Britain 

 cow-parsnep (Ainsw , and Prior) or brankitrsine (Lindl.), in Germany " barenklau," in Italy 

 '■ panace " or " panace erculeo " (Lenz), in which we recognize the " panakes erakleion" — having 

 according to Theophrastus ix. 11, 3 large spreading leaves three palms either way, and a bitterish 

 root as thick as the finger : H. sphondylium was observed by Sibthorp, and Chaubard, from the Pelo- 

 ponnesus to mount Athos. Westward, is described by Rivinus pi. 4 ; is termed " sphondylium vul- 

 gare hirsutum" by Tournefort inst. 320, "s branca ursina " by Hoffmann ; was observed by Scopoli 

 in North Italy, by Linnaeus in Sweden, its young shoots eaten ; and is known to grow throughout 

 middle and Northern Europe (Pers., and Engl. bot. pi. 939). Eastward from the Black Sea, is 

 known to grow throughout Siberia to'Kamtschatka (Spreng.), and as far as Unalaschka near the 

 American coast (Lindl ). The "rind and root' according to Lindley "are acrid and will ulcerate 

 the skin," but the "root contains sugar." 



I'aslinaca opopanax of the East Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece " polukarpon " or 

 "ampedona" (Sibth.) or " kophtia " (Fraas) : the " panakSs erakleion" — of Dioscorides yielding 

 "opopanax" and growing in Cyrene, Arcadia, Boeotia, and Macedonia, cultivated besides for its 

 juice, very tall with a terminal '• angthou "-like umbel of yellow flowers, the seed fiery and fragrant, 

 clearly belongs here : "jawashir" is mentioned by Rhazes, A vicenna, and gum " opopanax " called 

 "djoaschir" is enumerated by Alpinus, and Forskal mat. med., as imported into Egypt from Syria: 

 seeds of P. opopanax were found in the gum by Dodoens p. 309 ; and the living plant was observed 

 by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, frequent in the Peloponnesus and Southern Greece ; is known to 

 grow also in Syria (Pers.). Westward, the account by Pliny xii. 57 and xx. 100 of the " panacem " 

 five cubits high, the drug " opopanacis " being separately mentioned, seems chiefly taken from the 

 Greeks: I'. opopanax is described by Lobel adv. p. 312 as observed by him near Montpellier (Spren°\); 

 is termed "p. sylvestris altissima" by Tournefort inst. 319; is known to grow also in Hungary, Italy, 

 and Sicily (Gouan pi. 13, Lam. fl. fr., Kitaib. hung. iii. pi. 212, and Pers.). According to Lindley! 

 opopanax is " a fetid gum resin similar in its effects to assafcetida." 



Lagoecia cuminoides of the East Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece "la<*6kumino " 

 (Fraas) or " agriorigani " (Sibth.) ; in which we recognize the " agrioriganos " identified in Syn. 

 Diosc. with the " panakes erakleion," — and according to Dioscorides iii. 31 having slender stems a 

 span high, " anethS "-like umbels, white flowers, and a slender useless root: the "panake leptophul- 

 lon " is mentioned by Theophrastus ix. II. 4; and the " lag66u kuminon " in Syn. Diosc. iv. 17 : L. 

 cuminoides was observed by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, in vineyards and cultivated around' fre- 

 quent from the Peloponnesus throughout Greece. Westward, is described by Matthioli (Spreng.) ; is 

 termed "cuminum sylvestre capitulis globosis " by C. Bauhin (Pers.), "cuminoides vu]<rare'"'by 

 Tournefort inst. 301. 



