50 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ordained by the Frankish Emperor to be grown in his dominions, and 

 are mentioned in the Capitulary. This list was probably added to in 

 course of time, for amongst the herbs forming ingredients in the receipts 

 given in Cockayne's " Saxon Leechdoms " we find the following, which 

 are certainly not natives of Britain : alecost or costmary (Tanacetum 

 Balsamita), borage (Borago officinalis), balm (Melissa officinalis), 

 angelica (Archangelica officinalis), hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis or 

 Gratiola officinalis ?), elecampane (Inula Helenium), and blessed thistle 

 (Carbenia benedicta). It is not, however, stated whether these were 

 brought over from the Continent as drugs (from the Saxon "driagan," to 

 dry), or were cultivated in herbaries. 



Charlemagne's Capitulary. 



The plants given in this list include seventy-three herbaceous plants, 

 of which the following are at the present day included amongst medi- 

 cinal plants or herbs, although some of them are used also for flavouring 

 purposes. These include : — 



Anethum (Peucedanum graveolens). 

 Anisum (Pimpinella anisum). 

 Apium (Apium graveolens). 

 Bardanum (Arctium Lappa). 

 Bismaluas (Althcea officinalis). 

 Carvum (Carum Carui). 

 Coloquintida (Citrullus Colocyn- 

 this). 



Coriandrum (Coriandrum sativum). 

 Costum (Tanacetum vulgar e). 

 Cuminum (Cuminum cyminum). 

 Febrifugium (Chrysanthemum Par- 



thenium). 

 Fcenum-graecum (Trigonella 



Foznum-gracum) . 

 Lactucas (Lactuca). 

 Levisticum (Levisticum officinale). 

 Lily (Lilium candidum). 

 Maluas (Malva sylvestris). 

 Mentam (Mentha viridis). 



The list is remarkable as containing very few plants possessing 

 powerful medicinal properties, the most active being opium, poppy, squill, 

 colocynth, savin, and rue. 



It was only when the Norman occupation had reduced the country to 

 some degree of order that horticulture revived. In 1109, Brithnod, the 

 first Abbot of Ely, had extensive gardens and orchards which he filled 

 with a great variety of herbs and shrubs and fruit trees. One of the 

 earliest writers on gardening in Britain was Alexander Neckham, a foster- 

 brother of Richard I. (1157-1217), and Abbot of Cirencester. In his 

 work, " De Natura Rerum," he mentions, besides the herbs enumerated in 

 the Capitulary, fennel, hyssop, dittany, smallage, wormwood, horehound 

 and peony as desirable for cultivation in a physic garden. 



Nasturtium (Nasturtium officinale). 

 Nepetam (Nepeta cataria). 

 Olisatum (Smyrnium Olusatrum). 

 Papaver (Papaver somniferum). 

 Petroselinum (Petroselinum sati- 

 vum). 



Pulegium (Mentha Pulegium). 

 Rosa (Bosa gallica). 

 Rosmarinum (Bosmarinus offici- 

 nalis). 



Rutam (Buta graveolens). 

 Sabinum (Juniperus Sabina). 

 Salvium (Salvia officinalis). 

 Sanicalum (Sanicula europcea). 

 Sclareoem (Salvia Sclarea). 

 Sisymbrium (Sisymbrium offici- 

 nale). 



Squillam (Urginca Scilla). 

 Synapi (Brassica nigra and alba). 



