PLANTS OF GREECE. 



249 



72. Salvia Officinalis. The apples, as they are called, or the 

 tumour on this plant, (poio-xopyXici, the effect of the puncture of a species 

 of cynips, are made into a conserve with honey. These excrescences 

 are also found on Salvia pomifera. 



73. Dipsacus Sylvestris, pepojcpanj. The water collected in the 

 cavity of the leaves is used as a cosmetic by the Greek girls. 



74. Iris Graminea. The root of the Iris is used as a cosmetic and 

 is dried and powdered, and rubbed on the "cheek. In Cyprus it is 

 called fiovpSiXia-t, evidently a corruption from the Italian Fior di Lis. It 

 is sometimes called xptvog, the name properly applied to Liliumalbum. 



75. Thapsia Villosa. The young leaves are gathered among the 

 plants that form the ay^ia Xa%ava. The expressed juice of the flowers 

 is used with the Verbascum blattaria to dye yellow the wool which is 

 manufactured into the coarse carpets called T^vlaig. 



76. Anethum Fceniculum. The tops are used in preserving the 

 green olives, and are chopped and served up with the Octopodia. 



77. Cuscuta Europaea, one of the Greek names in Zante, imports "the 

 thread spun by the Nereids," dvepui$ovepa.Ta. From the twisting and twin- 

 ing of the stems, it is compared by the Greeks to the dishevelled hair 

 of the Nereids ; they also call it MaXta, ryg Ua.va.yiag, " the hair of the Vir- 

 gin." At Constantinople it is named lirdvpov, the ancient word in Dios- 

 corides, and is given with Artemisia Pontica [utyvQiov) in fevers. 



78. Verbascum Thapsus, (pxo^og. The dried flower stalk is used 

 on St. John's day, dipped in oil, as a torch. The saint from the bon- 

 fires used on this day is called "Ayiog Icodwyg Aa^ira^d^g. 



79. Daucus Nobilis. The churches, particularly the pavements are 

 adorned with this plant during Easter. Crosses also are made of it, 

 and put behind the door from Easter Sunday to the Ascension. The 

 leaves are used in culinary preparations for dressing the eels. An oil 

 also is made from the berries. 



Notes by the Editor. 



72. See Belon's remarks on the Pommes de Sauge in Crete, lib. i. c. 1 7. and Tournefort, 

 Letter ii. " In Creta ac etiam in quibusdam Apulia; et Calabriee locis, Salvia in cacumine 

 gignit tnbercula queedam, gallarum instar, subalbida." Dios. Mathiol. 378. 



77- See Du Cange in v. Nepoifcc. 



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