Saturday 17 January 2015

Medieval Plants: Magic Bed

As I posted yesterday, I'll be starting this column by examining the plants listed as being in the magic bed of the Bonnefont Herb Garden at the Cloisters Museum in New York City (part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art).  I've decided to tackle the list in order so I don't miss anything.


Here's the list:

Achillea millefolium                  Common yarrow
Aconitum napellus                     Aconite
Alchemilla vulgaris                   Lady’s mantle
Arum italicum                            Italian arum
Atropa belladonna                     Deadly nightshade
Bryonia dioica                           Red bryony
Carlina acaulis                          Stemless carline thistle
Carlina vulgaris                         Carline thistle
Catananche caerulea                 Cupid’s dart
Chrysanthemum coronarium     Crown daisy
Datura metel                              Horn of plenty, Downy thorn apple
Doronicum pardalianches         Great leopard’s bane
Dracunculus vulgaris                Dragon arum
Foeniculum vulgare                   Fennel
Geum urbanum                          Herb bennet
Glechoma hederacea                 Ground ivy
Hypericum perforatum              St. John’s wort
Leonurus cardiaca                    Motherwort
Mandragora autumnalis           Autumn mandrake
Mandragora officinarum          Mandrake
Paeonia officinalis                    Peony
Plantago lanceolata                  Ribgrass plantain
Plantago major                          Common plantain
Polygonum bistorta                   Bistort
Sempervivum tectorum              Houseleek
Solanum dulcamara                   Bittersweet
Stachys officinalis                      Betony

Verbena officinalis                    Vervain

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