Chap. 27.] ASAEUM, OE roAL-rooT. I2t 
next highest esteem next to this ; then the Gallic ; ®* and in 
the third place, that of Crete, which by some persons is 
called **agrion," and by others ''phu." This last has exactly the 
leaf of the olusatrum,^^ with a stalk a cubit in length, knotted, 
of a whitish colour, inclining to purple, and a root that runs 
sideways; it is covered, too, with long hair, and strongly 
resembles the foot of a bird. Field nard is known by the 
name of baccar.^^ We shall have further occasion to mention 
it when we come to speak of the flowers. All these kinds of 
nard, however, are to be reckoned as herbs, with the exception 
of Indian nard. Of these, the Gallic kind is pulled up along 
with the root, and washed in wine ; after which it is dried in 
the shade, and wrapped up in paper, in small parcels. It is 
not very different from the Indian nard, but is lighter than 
that of Syria ; the price at which it sells is three denarii per 
pound. The only way of testing the leaves of all these 
varieties of nard, is to see that they are not brittle and parched, 
instead of being dried naturally and gradually. Together 
with the nard that grows in Gaul, there always ^ springs up 
a herb, which is known by the name of hirculus, or the 
little goat," on account of its offensive smell, it being very 
similar to that of the goat. This herb, too, is very much used 
in the adulteration of nard, though it differs from it in the 
fact that it has no stem, and its leaves are smaller ; the root, 
too, is not bitter, and is entirely destitute of smell. 
CHAP. 27. (13.) ^ASAEUM, OE FOAL-EOOT. 
The herb asarum,^^ too, has the properties of nard, and, 
indeed, by some persons is known as wild nard. It has a leaf. 
Generally supposed to be tlie Valeriana Celtica of modern naturalists. 
See B. xxi. c. 79. 
^5 Probably the Valeriana Italica of modern naturalists. 
86 See B. xix. c. 48. 
87 Known in this country as fox-glove, our Lady's gloves, sage of Jeru- 
salem, or clown's spikenard. See B. xxi. c. 16. 
Not always, but very seldom, Brotier says. Clusius has established, 
from observation, that this plant is only a variety of the Valeriana Celtica. 
^ Fee remarks, that the name baccara," in Greek, properly belonged 
to^ this plant, but that it was transferred by the Komans to the field nard^ 
with which the Asarum had become confounded. It is the same as the 
Asarum Europaeum of modern naturalists ; but it does not, as Pliny asserts, 
flower twice in the year. 
