250 
pliny's natural HISTOET. [Book XXVII. 
CHAP. 63. — HOLCUS OE AETSTIS. 
Holcus^^ is a plant that grows in arid, stony, spots : it has an 
ear at the end of a fine stem, and looks like barley that has put 
forth again when cut. Attached to the head or around the arm, 
i t extracts^^ spikes of corn adhering to the flesh ; for which 
reason, some persons give it the name of aristis." 
CHAP. 64. HTOSEEIS: ONE EEMEDY. 
Hyoseris^^* resembles endive in appearance, but is a smaller 
plant, and rougher to the touch : pounded and applied to 
wounds, it heals them with remarkable rapidity. 
CHAP. 65. — THE holosteon: theee eemedies. 
The holosteon,^ so called by the Greeks by way of anti- 
phrasis,^^ (in the same way that they give the name of 
sweet* '^^ to the gall,) is a plant destitute of all hardness, of 
such extreme fineness as to resemble hairs in appearance, four 
fingers in length, and very similar to hay-grass. The leaves of it 
are narrow, and it has a rough flavour : it grows upon elevated 
spots composed of humus. Taken in wine, it is used for rup- 
tures and convulsions. It has the property, also, of closing 
wounds ; indeed, if applied to pieces of meat it will solder 
them together. 
CHAP. 66. — the hippoph^ston : eight eemedies. 
The hippophseston is one of those prickly plants which 
fullers^^ use in their coppers ; it has neither stem nor flower. 
Identified with, the Hordeum murinum of Linnaeus, and the same, 
most probably, as the Mouse barley of B. xxii. c. 65. 
92 Whence its name, from the Greek sXkw, "to draw." 
92* u Swine*s endive." It is generally identified with the Centaurea 
nigra of Linnaeus ; though, as Fee says, on very insufficient grounds, as 
the black centaury has but little similarity to endive. 
93 The "aLL-bone " plant. Desfontaines identifies it with the Plantago 
coronopus of Linnaeus, the Biickshorn plantain ; but Fee prefers the Plan- 
tago holostea of Lamarck, the Grass-leaved plantain. Li'ttre names the 
Ilolosteum umbellatum. The Plantago albicans of Linnaeus has been also 
mentioned. 
9* Because there is no hardness in it. xd yXvKsa. 
9s See B. xxiv. c. 68. In B. xvi. c. 92, Fee identifies this plant with the 
Calcitrapa stellata of Lamarck. He also suggests that it may possibly be 
the second " Hippophaes," mentioned in B. xxii. c. 14. Desfontaines 
identifies it with the Cuicus stellatus, the Star-thistle. Littre gives as iU 
