SWEET HERBS 



The plant seems to have been selected by the Greeks and also 

 by the Romans as a decoration at marriage feasts, when it was 

 woven into wreaths to crown the young married couple. It is 

 mentioned both by Virgil and Pliny. 



SUMMER SAVORY 



Satureia hortensis. 



Satureia, a classical name of obscure meaning. 



Annual low herb; native to southern Europe; sparingly run wild. 



Stem. — Slender, erect, branching, ten to twelve inches high. 



Leaves. — Soft, oblong-linear. 



Flowers. — Two-lipped, pink, purplish, or white, small, either clustered 

 in the axils of the leaves or running into panicle spikes at the end of the 

 branches. 



Summer Savory, Satureia hortensis, 

 was once in great repute as a remedy 

 for many ailments; its very presence 

 was considered a safeguard; "keep it 

 dry by you all the year if you love 

 yourself and yoiur ease," was the ad- 

 vice of the ancient herbalists. More- 

 over, the plant belonged to the satyrs 

 and was the especial property of Mer- 

 cury. All these mystical values 

 have departed, and to-day Summer 

 Savory is simply a slender-stemmed, 

 weedy plant, extremely aromatic in 

 stem, leaf, and iiowers, whose pulver- 

 ized leaves and stems are found in 

 any dry combination of Sweet Herbs 

 sold in the shops. 

 There is a perennial evergreen 

 species called Winter Savory Satureia montina, native to south- 

 ern Europe which is also used as a seasoning herb, the whole 

 plant being highly aromatic. 



S22 



Summer Savory. SalurHa 

 hortensis 



