WOOD-SAGE. 31 



the more familar hops are employed. Beer-drinkers who 

 cannot get the pure admixture of malt and hops would 

 at least prefer wood-sage to Coculus Indicus, cardamom, 

 liquorice, grains of paradise, quassia chips, and the various 

 other sophistications that, unless rumour and analysis 

 sadly err, are not unknown in certain unscrupulous sec- 

 tions of " the trade." 



Botanically, the plant is the Tencrium scorodonia. Its 

 generic name was bestowed by Linnaeus, from a belief that 

 it is identical with the plant that Dioscorides says was first 

 used medicinally by an ancient King of Troy named Teucer. 

 We cannot affirm that this is not so ; but as Dioscorides 

 was a Greek flourishing in the reign of Nero, it is open 

 to us to believe that this was one of his flourishes, or 

 at least, if our view of the subject be held too flippant, 

 that the point is open to some little question. The specific 

 name scorodonia is derived from the Greek word for garlic, 

 and does not appear to be particularly appropriate. 



The root-stock of the wood- sage is perennial and 

 woody, creeping some distance underground and throwing up 

 branches at intervals. The stems are upright, numerous, 

 and ascend to a height of some two feet, though many 

 specimens do not exceed a foot in height. They are 

 quadrangular in section, and purplish-red in colour. The 

 leaves are opposite to each other, and very much wrinkled 

 in texture, like those of the sages ; hence, therefore, its 

 familiar names, wood-sage or sage-leaved germander. 

 These leaves are on footstalks, and in form are of a some- 

 what oblong heart-shape, and their edges are coarsely 

 toothed. Both sides of the leaf are green, but more or 

 less covered with grey downy hairs, and the veining is 

 very conspicuous on each surface. The flowers are a pale 



