Dictamnum 



others. The plant is Origanum dictamnus, a little 

 shrub with pink flowers, which is akin to marjoram. 

 The leaves, as Virgil says, are covered with thick 

 wool. Theophrastus was informed that they spoke 

 truth who said that if goats ate it when they had 

 been shot it ejected the arrow. With more truth 

 Pliny says that the leaves had some power to cure 

 wounds. 



The plant was brought from Crete to England in 

 ■the reign of Edward VI., but our winters are too 

 hard for it, and it is not in general cultivation. 



Flower, summer. 

 Italian name, Dittamo. 



Ebulus. 



' sanguineis ebuli bacis ' {Ec. x. 27). 



The danewort, or dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus), 

 is a very common weed in Italy, and still bears the 

 name of ebbio. It is rather like the elder, but is an 

 herbaceous plant, not a tree. The reddish- black 

 berries give a blue dye, but their colour, when 

 smeared on fresh, might be called red. It is said 

 that statues of Pan were painted red. 



The plant has established itself here and there in 

 England, whither legend says it was brought by the 

 Danes. It is supposed to have been used by them 

 like woad as a dye for the human skin. 



Flower, June. 



Italian names, Ebbio, Lebbio, and Colore. 

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