The history of B O T A N Y. 
15 
G.eek; but more of this appears than is real : the defcriptions of Theo- 
phrastus, tho’ very fliort, are and expreffive : thofe of Diosco- 
RiDES, tho’ they confid; of many words, and promife great difhndlion, yet 
are perplexed in the cxpredion, and often confufed with circumdances that 
cannot be reconciled to the reft of the account. It may be proper to pro- 
duce one inftance. In his hiftory of the Plant he gives a defcription 
containing many articles, and which, tho’ not altogether free from confu- 
fion, yet, in the capital points, agrees fo perfedl'ly with our Garden Va- 
lerian, that it appears evident this fpecies was meant; till we come to 
the laft fentence, in which he fays, its Flower is like that of the Narcis- 
sus, but larger, and more delicate. What fhould we think of a Valerian 
with Flowers like Daffbdills, but as a creature of the author’s fancy ? A 
monfter not to be produced by nature ! Yet it is certain, this celebrated 
Greek has railed an Herb, whofe Root, and Stalk, and Leaves are true 
Valerian ; and hung upo.n it thefe, as it would appear from the exprefiion, 
Enormous and Prepofterous Flowers. It is plain, that Diosccrides knew 
the Daffodill, and knew it by the name mpy-ia-o'c^, Narciflus ; for he has de- 
fcribed it carefully, in the fame work : diftinguiihing the two peculiar 
kinds, that with the yellow, and that with the red inner circle. But the 
difficulty may be explained. was the name of Daffodill in Dio- 
scoRiDEs’s time; but it had been early given to another, and that a very 
different Plant ; one that has fo much of Valerian in the Flower, that it is 
called to this time Red Valerian. Tire name vxpz:(rcrc^ ftill continued to 
be ufed for that Plant, as well as for the Daffodill, when this author wrote ; 
and it is not a rafh thought, that this Plant, and not the Daffodill, is what 
he meant here ; and was alfo the Narciffus of the Roman Poets* 
Virgil may have meant this Red Valerian, in all the places where he 
has named Narciffus; and he certainly does in many of them. The Nar- 
cilfo Floreat Alnus, in the Eighth Eclogue, may mean any Flower ; for 
there is no charadfer or defcriptive mark annexed to the name there ; and 
in the fecond, it is mentioned as indiftinflly. But there are other paffages 
where fomething more is faid ; and all agreeing not with the Daffodill, 
but Red Valerian. V/ben in the fourth Georgick, he names the Tears 
of the Narcissus, and the tough and vifcous juice of its rind ; 
Narcissi lacrymam et lentum de cortice gluten ; 
and employs the bees in gathering it for the foundation of their combs; it 
is probable, he means Red Valerian, of which bees are very fond, 
and 
