112 THE TREES AND SHRUBS LECT. 



of this author would differ from that 

 of Dioscorides, which is the true Mandrake a . 



The edible variety may be one of that section 

 of the Solanum tribe, distinguished by the name 

 of Melongena, to which belongs the Aubergine, now 

 a common article of food in the southern parts 

 of Europe. 



LYCIUM. 



Two species of this climbing shrub, viz. L. bar- 

 larum and L. europeum, are mentioned by Sibthorp, 

 who identifies the latter with the 'Pa/^0? of Dios- 

 corides. This, however, does not seem consistent 

 with the opinion he expresses, as already stated 

 under the head of Bhammts, that the AVKLOV of 

 Dioscorides was extracted from the Rhamnus in- 

 fectorius. Although not adopting this conclusion, 

 I cannot identify the modern Lycium with the 

 Lycium of the ancients, as the former is wholly 

 destitute of any medicinal virtues. 



VERBASCUM. 



One species, viz. V. spinosum, is mentioned by 

 Sibthorp as occurring in mountainous places in 

 Crete. This, however, cannot be supposed to 

 have been distinguished by the ancients from the 

 herbaceous species which abound in Greece. To 

 these the term 0Ao/AO? is applied in the Romaic ; 

 and this alone would lead us to infer that the 

 (f)\6fjioy mentioned by Dioscorides b , of which he 



" See "Roman Husbandry," p. 274. b iv. 103. 



