in.] OF THE ANCIENTS. 99 



the aprefjacria of Dioscorides. Manetti enumerates 

 two in Italy, viz. Abrotanum and Santonica. 



Pliny z also specifies two, the Santonica and the 

 Pontica, both superior, he says, to the Italian. 

 They were used, as at present, as a stomachic in- 

 fused in wine, for which purpose Apicius intro- 

 duces the plant into the materials for a banquet, 

 recommending it to be procured from Camerina, 

 or else from Pontus a . 



Theophrastus and Dioscorides call it afytvOiov, 

 and both represent the Pontic as the best. 



SENECIO. 



Sibthorp mentions one shrubby species of this 

 genus, namely, S.fruticulosus, but it is not noticed 

 by Manetti as occurring in Italy. 



It is, however, improbable, that this species is 

 alluded to in any ancient writer. 



Pliny b says, that the plant called 'Hpiyepov 

 by the Greeks is the Senecio of the Romans, both 

 words having reference to the hoary appearance 

 of the head of flowers when they begin to seed. 

 It has the appearance, he says, and the softness 

 of Trixago or Chamcedrys, a plant which has been 

 identified with the Teucrium chamcedrys of modern 

 botanists. It has small reddish-coloured stems, 

 and is found growing on walls and on the tiled 

 roofs of houses. Its name is derived from rjp, 



1 Lib. xxvii. c. 28. * Dierbach, Flora Apiciana, Heidelberg, 1831. 



b Lib. xxv. c. 106. 



H 2 



