{$I=H $Q=A $P=B $L=A $H=1} # Last edited on 1998-10-10 03:11:09 by stolfi # # Identification: # # Title: "Petersen's belladonna" # Page: f1v = AB (Rene) = p002 (Stolfi) # Folio: f1 # Panels: f1v # Bifolio: bA1 = f1+f8 # Quire: A (Rene) = I (Beinecke) # # Attributes: # # Language: A (Currier) # Hand: 1 (Currier) # Subsets: H (Rene), hea (Stolfi) # Subject: herbal # Petersen's plant 1 # Colors: green,tan (Reeds) # Plant: 1 (Petersen) # # Description: # # One plant centered on page. # # Root: a knobby, warped, pancanke-like tuber with # short roots attached like claws or fangs # all around the rim. Light color. # Stem: thick, well drawn. Light color. # Branches: one straight up, two oblique with drooping tips. # Leaves: broad lance-shape, with two short tails. # Stalk: short. # Flowers: one, growing at the tip of the center branch. # Stalk: very short. Chalyx: # conical, continuous with petals. Petals: short rounded, # light-colored. Core: hemispherical, dark-colored # (could be a berry; see below). # # Two paragraphs (with 3.8 and 5.8 lines), just below mid-page, # left- and right-justified, interrupted by the plant's main stem. # # Comments: # # Part of this drawing (root and leaves only) is repeated on # Pharma page f102r1[3,2]. # # The plant looks basically normal, except for the very peculiar # root. # # Petersen identifies the plant as "Solanum Solatrium, Belladonna" # specifically the "flower". He says: "see L.Fuchs p.398". There is # no "Solanum solatrium"; rather, "solatrium" is an ancient # (Dioscoridean) name for some or all of these species: # # Atropa Belladona (deadly nightshade) # http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/library/kohler/1763_010.jpg # http://130.60.70.1/GIFTDB/pict_02.htm # # Hyoscyamus niger (henbane) # http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/library/kohler/1763_011.jpg # http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/nordflor/110.html # # Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) # http://axp.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/WEEDS/black_nightshade.html # # Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet) # http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/poison/ppstsleurop.htm # http://www.lysator.liu.se/runeberg/nordflor/109.html # # and perhaps other somewhat less likely species such as Withania # somnifera and Physalis alkekengi. # # The leaves of f1v seem most compatible those of Atropa belladonna # (shape) and Hyoscyamus niger (attachment to stem), and the "flower" # at the top of f1v does resemble the sheathed, shiny black fruits of # these two species. # # However, A.beladonna's root has been described as a roundish rhizome # with a long (up to 1m) tapering root, which does not seem to match # the highly distinctive "pancake with claws" of f1v. I have found no # image or description of the other plants' roots. # # A very similar root, with quite different leaves, can be seen on # another Italian herbal: # University of Vermont Library MS 2, fol. 39 (ca. 1500) # http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/biomed/his/immi/vm9437.htm # The medieval text calls that plant "Gran[i]a maggiore". # The modern commentary tentatively identifies it with # Ecballium elaterium (Squirting Cucumber), # http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/mi10/mi10043.jpg # However the leaves do not match, and the flower barely so. # I have found no image or description of E.elaterium's roots. # # All four plants are poisonous in varying degrees. The active # principles can be absorbed by smoking or through the skin as well as # by ingestion. They were used as potent psychoactive drugs, causing # paralysis of involuntary muscles, dizziness, sleep, hallucinations, # violent behavior, etc., and have been often associated with # witchcraft. # ## {} # text # Last edited on 1998-12-11 12:26:13 by stolfi # kchsy.chadaiin.ol-{plant}oltchey.char.cfhar.am- kchsy.chadaiin.ol-{plant}oltchey.char.cfhar.aj- kchry.chodaiin.ol-{plant}oltchey.char.cfhar.am- # yteeay.char.or.ochy-{plant}dcho.lkody.okodar.chody- yteeay.char.or!ochy-{plant}dcho.lkody.okodar.chody- yteeay.char.or.ochy-{plant}dcho.lkody.okodar.chody- # d!o.ckhy.ckho.ckhy.shy-{plant}dksheey.cthy.kotchody.dal- dao.ckhy.ckho.ckhy.shy-{plant}dksheey.cthy.kotchody.dal- dao.ckhy.ckho.ckhy.shy-{plant}dksheey.cthy.kotchody.dal- # dol.chokeo.dair.dam-{plant}sochey.chokody= dol.chokeo.dair.dam-{plant}sochey.chokody= dol.chokeo.dair.dam-{plant}sochey.chokody= # potoy.shol.dair.cphoal-{plant}dar.chey.tody.otoaiin.shoshy- potoy.shol.dair.cphoal-{plant}dar.chey.tody.otoaiin.shoshy- potoy.shol.dair.cphoal-{plant}dar.chey.tody.otoaiin.shoshy- # choky.chol.cthol.shol.okal-{plant}dolchey.chodo.lol.chy.cthy- choky.chol.cthol!shol.okal-{plant}dolchey.chodo.lol.chy.cthy- choky.chol.cthol.shol.okal-{plant}dolchey.chodo.lol.chy.cthy- # qo.ol.choeee.cheol.dol.cthey- {plant}ykol.dol.dolo.ykol.do.l!ch!!ody- qo.ol!choies.cheol.dol.cthey- {plant}ykol.dol.dolo.ykol.do!l!chieody- qo.ol!choees.cheol.dol.cthey- {plant}ykol.dol.dolo.ykol.do!l!ch!*ody- qo.ol.choies.cheol.dol.cthey- {plant}ykol.dol.dolo.ykol.do!l.ch!!ody- # okol.shol.kol.kechy.chol.ky- {plant}chol.cthol.chody.chol.daiin- okol!shol.kol!kechy.chol!ky- {plant}chol.cthol.chody.chol.daiin- akol!shol.kol!kecha.chol!ky- {plant}chol.cthol.chody.chol.daiin- okol.shol.kol.kechy.chol.ky- {plant}chol.cthol.chody.chol.daiin- # shor.okol.chol.dol.ky.dar-{plant}shol.dchor.otcho.dar.shody- shor.okol.chol.dol.ky.dar-{plant}shol.dchor.otcho.dar.shody- shor.okol.chol.dol.ky.dar-{plant}shol.dchor.otcho.dar.shody- # taor.chotchey.dal.chody-{plant}schody.pol.chodar= taor.chotchey.dal.chody-{plant}schody.pol.chodar= taor.chotchey.dal.chody-{plant}schody.pol.chodar= #