262 CHRONOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENT 



or wild marjoram (Lindl.), in France " origan " (Nugent), in Germany, " dosten," in Italy " regamo " 

 or "origano" (Lenz), in Greece " rigani " or "riganon" (Sibth.), in which we recognize the 

 OPirA/VOyVof Epicharmus, — Ion, the comic poet Plato, Aristophanes eccles. 1022, Timotheus, 

 Archestratus, Sotades, and the Arcadian kind of Athenaeus ii. 77 : O. vulgare was observed by Sib- 

 thorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, from the Peloponnesus to mount Athos ; and is known to grow as far 

 as Central Asia (Lindl.). Westward, the "origanum " is mentioned by Columella ix. 4. 2 as good for 

 bees and their honey, by Pliny xxi. 29 as coronary, by Palladius as cultivated: O. vulgare is described 

 by Brunfels, and Valerius Cordus (Spreng.) ; is termed " o. sylvestre " by Tournefort inst. 198 ; was 

 observed by Lenz wild in Italy, and is known to grow throughout middle Europe as far as Denmark 

 (fl. Dan. pi. 638, and Pers.). By European colonists, was carried to Northeast America, where, it 

 has become naturalized, observed by myself in wild situations in our Middle States. The plant 

 according to Lindley yields oil of thyme, " a common remedy for " toothache ; mixed also " with olive 

 oil, as a stimulating liniment." 



Origanum Smyrnaum of the Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece "rigani," or by the 

 Turks " sater " (Sibth.), and possibly included in the " origanon " of Epicharmus : — the " origanon " 

 of Tenedos, celebrated by the ancients (Athen. i. 50), is identified by Forskal with a species observed 

 on that and a neighbouring island, resembling O. vulgare but its flowers congested in a strobile : 

 O. Smyrnaeum is described by Tournefort inst. 199; was observed by Sibthorp around Smyrna, and 

 among heath around Constantinople; and " O. Syriacum" of Syria is regarded by Fraas as not 

 distinct. Westward, " O. glandulosum " having the aspect of O. vulgare and observed by Desfon- 

 taines ii. p. 27 on the Atlas mountains, is also regarded as not distinct. 



Lavandula spica of the Mediterranean countries. Called in Britain French lavender (Sibth.) , 

 in Italy, " spico gentile" (Spreng.), in Greece " kalog^rikohorton " (Sibth.); and probably the 

 l*YO/V of Epicharmus, — Theophrastus vi. 8. 3, Athenaeus ii. 83, identified with the "lavantis" 

 by Hesychius ; and copied " tiphyon " by Pliny: L. spica is described by Dodoens pi. 273; is 

 termed "I. latifolia " by Tournefort inst. 198; was observed by Sibthorp, and Chaubard, in the 

 Peloponnesus and on the Greek islands ; by Forskal, near Marseilles ; and is known to grow in other 

 parts of Southern Europe and in Barbary (Pers., and Lindl.). Probably by European colonists was 

 carried to Hindustan, observed by Law "in gardens Belgaum " near Bombay (Graham). The plant 

 according to Lindley '' is not employed medicinally, but yields " oil of spike, "used by painters on 

 porcelain and" in "varnishes for artists." (See L. stoechas). 



Rumex patientia of Europe A species of dock called in Britain patience or passions (Prior), in 

 France "patience" (Fe'e), in Italy " pazienza " or " lapazio " or " romice domestica " (Lenz), in 

 Germany " gemiis-ampfer," in Greece "xunethra" (Fraas); in which we recognize the AATAeO/V of 

 Epicharmus, — Diocles, Athenaeus ii. 57 to S3, esculent and single-rooted according to Theophrastus 

 i 6. 6, and the " lapathon kepSuton" of Dioscorides : R. patientia was observed by Sibthorp, and 

 Fraas, springing up spontaneously in gardens and fallow ground in the Peloponnesus. 'Westward, 

 the time for sowing " lapathum " is indicated by Pliny xix. 54 to xx. 86 : R. patientia is described by 

 Dodoens pi. 648; is termed "1. hortense folio oblongo, sive secundum Dioscoridis " by Tournefort 

 inst. 504 ; continues occasionally cultivated, and is known to grow wild in Italy and as far as Germany 

 (Pers., and A. Dec). By European colonists, was carried before 1669 (Jossel.) to Northeast America, 

 but has disappeared. 



Rumex crispus of Europe and the adjoining portion of Asia. The curled dock is called in France 

 "patience crepue " (Fe'e), in Germany "hasen-ampfer " (Fraas), in Greece " lapatho " (Sibth.) ; 

 possibly therefore the " lapathon " of Epicharmus : — the " lapathon oxulapathon " growing in marshes 

 according to Dioscorides, hardened and somewhat pointed at the summit, is referred here by writers ; 

 the "lapathon" is enumerated by Manetho among the ingredients of the Egyptian "kuphi" incense 

 (Plut. is. and osir.) ; and according to Pliny xx. S5, leaves and roots of " oxylapathon " are used in 

 making " pastillos," the leaves redder and more acute than in the"sativo" kind, and the seeds 

 employed medicinally: R. crispus is termed " 1. folio acuto crispo " by Tournefort inst. 504; was 

 observed by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, frequent in moist places from the Peloponnesus through- 

 out Greece, and eaten as a potherb ; is known as a weed in moist ground from Italy to Britain (Pers., 

 Lenz, and Lindl.). Eastward from Greece, was observed by Thunberg frequent in Japan, along 

 roadsides and on the margin of cultivated ground and called "gisigisi." By European colonists, was 

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

 and "a very common weed in cultivated and waste grounds" (A. Gray). The root according to 

 Lindley is "astringent" and is employed "in decoction or ointment" as "a cure for the itch." 



Cha7iiarops humilis of the West Mediterranean countries. The palmetto or dwarf palm is 

 called by the Arabs " wakl " and its fruit "mokl " (Spreng.); the esculent EAATAN of Epicharmus 

 — (Athen. ii. 71) may be compared ; the "phoinix"by some called " Slaten " or " spathen " being 

 according to Dioscorides the involucre of the fructification : the " hamairriphSis " is described by 



