Trees, Shrubs, and Plants of Virgil 



Amaracus. 



' mollis amaracus ilium \ floribus et dulci adspirans com- 

 plectitur umbra' {Ae. i. 693). 



The sweet marjoram (Origanum majorana) is a 

 North African herb, which has been in our gardens 

 since the days of EUzabeth. As it will not stand 

 our winters, it is treated here as an annual. It is 

 naturalized in Italy, and Virgil may have known it 

 as a garden plant. Since, however, the passage 

 deals with a miracle of Venus, we need not assume 

 this. The plant was used for wreaths. 



Our plant seems to be Shakespeare's sweet mar- 

 joram, though our old writers ascribe sweetness and 

 other virtues to the native species also. They belong 

 to the labiate order, and are akin to thyme and mint. 



Flower, June and July. 



Italian names, Maggiorana and Persia. 



Amellus. 



' est etiam flos in pratis cui nomen amello 

 fecere agi-icolae, facilis quaerentibus herba ; 

 namque uno ingentem toUit de cespite silvam ; 

 aureus ipse, sed in foliis, quae plurima circum 

 funduntur, violae sublucet purpura nigrae. 

 saepe deum nexis ornatae torquibus arae. 

 asper in ore sapor : tonsis in vallibus ilium 

 pastores et curva legunt prope flumina Mellae.' 



(Ge. iv. 271 sqq.) 



Here we have Virgil describing solely from his 

 own observation a plant of his own district with 

 what we may presume to be a Gallic name. It does 



14 



