Sylphium...?

[Nick Pelling <incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi everyone,

Re: Dennis Stallings' 1997 idea of f55r and the (probably extinct) sylphium 
plant (AKA silphion AKA silphium): numerous images of it still exist on 
coins (testament to its economic power), some of which are now accessible 
on the web:-

http://www.ceptualinstitute.com/uiu_plus/revered.htm
http://www.csh.umn.edu/Education/CSpH_5401/CSpH_5401Syll.htm

Dennis turned up this quote: "Silphium was a member of the genus *Ferula*, 
commonly known as giant fennel, a large group of plants with deeply divided 
leaves and yellow flowers."

BTW: has anyone here used the SEPASAL datafile at Kew (it's not too far 
from where I live)? This posted message (below) suggested doing this to 
root out possible modern matches for sylphium:-

http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu:8080/hyper-lists/lt-antiq/99-03-01/0043.html

Cheers, .....Nick Pelling.....