Uto
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f i i .
lated “ dilla” in Æfric’s glossary, and the “ paradilla ” or “ padella” is mentioned by Galfridus pr.
pm. (Prior) : R. obtusifolius is termed “ 1. folio minus acuto ” by Tournefort inst. 504 ; was observed
by Pollini in Italy (Lenz), and is known to grow througliout middle Europe (Curt. lond. iii. pl. 22,
Lam. fl. fr., and Pers.). By European colonists, was carried to Northeast America, where it has
become a irequent weed in our Atlantic States, and is distinctively termed by A. Gray “ bitter dock.”
Is used medicinally according to Lindley, having '‘ properties similar to those o f ” R. crispus.
“ 274 B. C.” (Blair, and Clint.), departure from Italy of Pyrrhus, defeated at Maleventum by the
Romans under Curius.
As early probably as this date (Strab. xvi. 4. 5, and Plin. vi. 21), by Ptolemy II., Dionysius sent
as ambassador to India, while Satyrus proceeded down the Red Sea to the country of the Troglodytes,
to investigate the hunting of elephants.
“ 273 B. C .” (Liv., Eutrop., and Clint.), arrival in Rome of ambassadors from Ptolemy II. of
Egypt, seeking friendship.
Under Ptolemy II. (inscript. adul. ii. p. 141), “ Troglodytic and Ethiopie ” elephants w'ere first
brought from Adule to Egypt to be trained for the purposes of war. The account is confirmed by
Agatharchides i and 56, and the species is again asserted to be the African ; (by what route the elephants
reached their destination we are not informed, but it seems probable that the public and the
Syrian king were deceived by landing Indian elephants on the coast near Adule).
Odina ScKhnperi of Eastern Equatorial Africa. A tree called “ ra’oooomboo ” (Grant) ; and
possibly furnishing the net in which a serpent “ thirty cubits ” long was captured, and brought down
the Nile to Ptolemy II. at Alexandria — (A p th a rch . 78); O. s"chimperi was observed by Grant
from ‘" 5° S. to 3° N.” on the Nile, and nets for game made from its roots ; was received also from
Africa and described by Hochstetter.
Acacia sp. of Eastern Equatorial Africa. A large tree, prickly-stemmed, and called “ ra’sa lla ”
(Grant) ; and possibly furnishing lashings on the above occasion : — observed by Grant “ Dec. 12,
1862,” in woods in Madi on the Nile, its inner bark made into lashings.
Ficus Kotschyana ? of Eastern Equatorial Africa. A tree with huge boughs, and called “ m’koo ”
(Grant) ; possibly furnishing lashings on the above occasion : — observed by Grant from “ 5° S. to 3°
30' N .” on the Nile, its bark used for bark-cloths and short ropes.
“ 272 B. C .” (Liv., Blair, and Clint.), the Tarentine Greeks, although aided by a Carthaginian
fleet, defeated by the Romans. Terminating the war in Southern Italy.
•‘ In this y e a r ” (Sm. b. d.), Pyrrhus invading the Peloponnesus slain before Argos, and the kingdom
of Macedonia recovered by Antigonus Gonatas.
Aratus of Cilicia, physician and astronomical poet, was invited to the court of Antigonus
Gonatas. — He is mentioned by Theocritus vi and vii, Cicero orat. i. 16, and is quoted by Paul (Acts
xvii. 28).
“ 270 B. C.” (Polyb., Diod , and Sm b. d.), Hieron I I ., a son of Hierocles, made king at Syracuse.
He is praised in the Sixteenth idyl of Theocritus.
Glauciuni violaceum of Egypt and the Mediterranean countries. Called in Egypt “ rid jletel
g h rab ” (Forsk.) or “ rigl el-ghorab ” crow-foot (D e l ) ; and the KYANEION : XEAIAONION of
Theocritus xiii. 40, growing in company with AAIANTON around a fountain, — may be compared:
G. violaceum was observed by Sibthorp in Cyprus and the Peloponnesus ; and by Forskal, and Delile,
around Alexandria and in the Eg}-ptiau Desert to the vicinity of Cairo. Westward, is termed “ g.
flore violaceo ” by Tournefort inst. 254, “ chelidonium hybridum” by Linnæus; is known to grow
in various parts of Southern Europe as far as France (Lam. fl. fr., and Pers.), but as occurring in
Britain does not seem permanently naturalized (Engl. bot. pl. 201, and A. Dec.).
Cistus Monspeliensis of the Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece “ vouki tho:” tlie
AH AO No f Theocritus xxi. 10, — identified by Dioscorides with a kind of “ kistou ” yielding “ latlia-
non,” the leaves longer and becoming clammy in Spring, is referred here by Fraas : C. Monspeliensis
was observed by Sibthorp, and Fraas, on dry hills in Greece and the Greek islands. Westward, is
termed “ c. ladanifera monspeliensium ” by Tournefort inst. 260, and is known to grow in Spain and
Southern France (Pers.; see C. Creticus).
Cistus incanus of the .Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece “ kôunôuklia,” or by the Turks
‘‘ ladan o tu : ” the POAOKICCOC or POAOKICTOC of Theocritus v. 131.— is referred h e reb y
Hogg : C. incanus is termed “ c. mas secundus folio longiore ” by Tournefort inst. 259; was observed
by Sibthorp frequent from Samos to Cyprus and the Peloponnesus ; by Hogg in Sicily, and having
“ large rose-coloured flowers ; ” is known to grow also in Spain and Southern France (Pers.)
dragarla vesca oi Northern climates. Called in BnxaSri strawberry, \n Anglo-Saxon “ streow
be rie ” (Prior), in Fiance “ fra is e ” (Nugent), in Germany “ erdbeere,” in Italy “ fra g a ” or “ fragola”
(Lenz), in Greece “ phraôuli” (Forsk., and Fraas) or “ koukoumaria ” (Sibth.); ancl the KOMA
PO I C I upon which goats are reposing in Theocritus v. 129 — are identified with “ fraga ” by Apuleins;
the “ humi nascens fragum” is mentioned by Virgil eel. iii. 92 ; “ montanum fragum” and “ silvestri
nata sub umbra mollia fra g a ” by Ovid met. i. 104 to xiii. 815; “ terrestribus fragis” among
wild esculents by Pliny xv. 28 to xxi. 50 ; and the “ phragouli ” by Nicolaus Myrepsus iii. 46 : berries
of F. vesca occur in debris of the earliest lake-villages of Switzerland ; the plant was cultivated in
the medieval period (A. Dec.) ; is described by Ruellius, and Valerius Cordus (Spreng.) ; is termed
“ f. vulgaris ” by Tournefort inst. 295 ; is known to grow wild in North Italy and Portugal (Brot, and
Lenz) and throughout middle and Northern Europe as far as Lapland and Iceland (Hook., Pers., and
Wats.) ; was observed by Fotskal, Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, on mountains from the Peloponnesus
to Constantinople ; the medicinal use in Egypt of “ fragaria ” root is mentioned by Forskal
mat med, and cultivation of the “ frais ie r” according to CIot-Bey has been recently introduced.
Eastward, F. vesca is known to grow wild on the Taurian mountains (Bieb.), and from L a t 54° on the
Volga to and beyond the Yenisei throughout Siberia (Gmel., and Pall.). Farther East, from Alaska
and the Pacific shore of America to Cumberland House on the Saskatchewan (Hook., and Wats.) and
throughout Cîinada and our Northern States ; extending along the Atlantic to L a t 43° as observed by
myself, and farther South on mountains. From Europe, was however introduced into the gardens
of North America, where it continues to be occasionally cultivated ; into Jamaica and the Mauritius
Islands, and in these Tropical localities has become naturalized on the mountains (Purdie in Hook,
j. bot. for 1844, Bory, and Boj.).
Galega officinalis of the Mediterranean countries. An allied plant is called in our Middle States
goa fs rue (a name doubtless derived from Europe) : the A I f I A 0 N eaten by goats according to Theocritus
V. 128, — and growing on mountains according to Babrius iii. 3 (Daub.), m a ybe compared:
G. officinalis was observed by Sibthorp on mount Athos and the Bithynian Olympus. Westward,
is described by Hieronymus Fracastor, Gesner, Matthioli, Gerarde, and Morison ii. pl. 7 ; is termed
“ g. vulgaris floribus cæruleis ” by Tournefort inst. 398 ; and is known to grow in Barbary and various
parts of Southern Europe as far as France (Lam. fl. fr., and Pers.). By European colonists,
was carried to Egypt (CIot-Bey) ; and to the Mauritius Islands, where it was observed under cultivation
by Bojer.
Scabiosa columbaria of Europe and the adjoining portion of Asia. Called in Greece “ psôrôhôr-
tôn,” and the KNYZA growing among good plants for fodder according to Theocritus iv. 25 — may
be compared; also the “ p sô ra ” plant of Aetius (Ruel ii. 145) ; S. columbaria was observed by Sibthorp
frequent on the Greek islands. Farther South, is known to grow on the mountains of Abyssinia
(A. Richard), ancl the “ djussar er raaja ” observed by Forskal on the mountains of Yemen is
regarded by him as perhaps identical. Westward, is described by Columna (Tenor., and A. Dec.
p. 707) ; is termed ‘‘ s. capitulo globoso major ” by Tournefort inst. 465 ; was observed by Munby in
Algeria, by Gussone in Italy, by Forskal near Marseilles, and is known to grow throughout middle
Europe as fa r a s Denmark (fl. Dan. pl. 314, Engl. bot. pl. 131:, and Pers.). “ S. coronopifolia ”
observed by Sibthorp pi. 114 on rocks in Greece, is regarded as not distinct (Steud.).
Erica arborea of the wooded portion of the Mediterranean countries. A small tree called on
the Canaries “ b re z o ” (Lowe), in Italy “ scopa arborea” (Lenz), in Greece “ riki” (Sibth.) or
“ ërëikë ” (Fraas) ; and tlie E P E I K A C cut with the woodman’s hatchet according to Theocritus v. 64
— is referred here by Fëe: E. arborea was observed by Sibthorp, and Chaubard, frequent in the
Peloponnesus and on the Greek islands. Westward, is termed “ e. maxima alba ” by Tournefort
inst. 602 ; is known to grow in Italy and throughout Southern Europe ; was observed by Lowe on
the Canary Islands (Major edit. Bethenc. p. 134) ; by myself, in the mountain-region of Madeira.
(See E. multiflora )
Cj/r/irv/i:«//rtíz-cítyh/rá;« of the West Mediterranean countries. The KYKAAMINON of Theocritus
v. 123 growing along the river Ales — (in Italy) according to the scholiasts, and the herb
described by them as also called ‘‘ kalamithran,” altogether useless or its slender root sometimes
applied to chilblains, may be compared : C. hederaefolium is described by Lobel pl. 605 ; was
observed by Hogg on S icily; by Lenz in North Italy ; was already cultivated in Britain in the days
of Gerarde 845, but has since become naturalized and is called sow bread (Engl. bot. pl. 548, Pers.,
Wats., A. Dec., and Lindl.). According to Smith, and Burnett, “ a very acrid plant” that “ has been
used medicinaily, its action being that of a drastic purgative” (Lindl.).
Calamagrostis calamagrostis of Europe and the adjoining portion of Asia. The KAAAMOC
around a tenqrie in the city of Neileus according to Theocritus xxviii. 3, — or “ ëtërôs phragmitës”
slender and wliitish according to Dioscorides i. 114, may be compared: C. calamagrostis was
observed by Sibthorp not infrequent by the road-side between Smyrna and Bursa; and by Forskal
p. 24, abounding in the Ghobeibe marsh in the Sinai peninsula. Westward, the “ calamus qui circa
sep e s” is mentioned by Pliny: C. calamagrostis is termed “ gramen paniculatum arundinaceum
panicula densa ” by Tournefort inst. 523 ; and is known to grow throughout middle Europe as far as
Denmark (fl. Dan. pl. 280, Engl. bot. pl. 403, and P e rs .).
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