Casia 

 Casia. 



A. 'humiles casias ' (Ge. ii. 213). 



' casiae virides ' {Ge. iv. 30 ; cf. Ec. ii. 49). 



B. 'nee casia liquidi corrumpitur usus olivi' {Ge. ii. 466). 



The two plants are quite distinct, The first is 

 a spurge -laurel (Daphne Gnidium), akin to the 

 spurge-laurel and the mezereon of our gardens. It 

 is a native of Italy, but seems not to occur on the 

 eastern side of the Apennines. It has a white flower, 

 which Virgil commends to bee-keepers, and a small 

 red berry, very acrid, but used in aperient pills under 

 the name of ' granum Gnidium.' The flowers were 

 used in garlands. 



The second plant is the cinnamon of the Bible 

 (Laurus cinnamomum). It is an Oriental plant, and 

 was not cultivated in Italy, but the aromatic bark 

 was imported. It was used as a scent by men who 

 liked scent, with oil when used as an unguent, and 

 together with myrrh in funeral pyres. 



Flower of Daphne, July to September. 

 Italian names of Daphne, Dittinella and 

 Erbacorsa. 



Castanea. 



' altae castaneae ' {Ge. ii. 14). 

 ^"■^ ' castaneas moUes ' (Ec. i. 82). 

 ""• ' castaneae hirsutae ' {Ec. vii. 53). 

 ''^' castaneas . . . nuces ' {Ec. ii. 52). 



The sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) is a tree of 

 uncertain provenance, for the fruit of which the 



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