VMS -- Botanical Identifications

["Dana F. Scott" <dfscott@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Nick,
     I do not know if you are aware that earlier this year, after seeing the
wonderful match for Viola tricolor in f09v, I was quite excited at the
prospects that there were most likely other real world matches that could be
made for the botanical drawings in the VMS. I therefore set about trying to
see whether or not I could make additional identifications. Here is a list of
what was identified. Philip Marshall suggested the identification for the
smaller right plant in f42v. Apparently I made an independent identification
for f02r (though I had previously seen what I could find of the plants that
had already been tentatively identified). Each suggested identification was
submitted with a list of URLs for comparison, similar to the one I submitted
for f07v. This list is no doubt a 'rough draft' that needs further work. While
a number of the identifications appear to be very close matches, there is
still a great deal of work to be done to further identify the remaining
matches and clear up any discrepancies as much as possible. Of course, any
corrections or better matches that might be suggested will certainly be very
much appreciated.

Regards,
Dana Scott

(f02r) Spotted Knapweed, Batchelor's button (independently identified)
(f04v) The Bluebell of Scotland, Campanula rotundifolia
(f05r) Paris quadrifolia (Trilliaceae)
(f05v) Agrimony eupatoria
(f06r) Philodendron 'Xanadu'
(f06v) Wooly Thistle, Cirsium eriophorum
(f07r) Centaurea (Yellow flower)
(f08r) Coltsfoot, Tussilago farfara
(f11r) Parsley, Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum, Hamburg parsley
(f12v) Spiral Ginger, Costus afer (Zingiberaceae family)
(f13r) Geranium?, Pelargonium, 'Distinction' variety
(f13v) Fuchsia?
(f15r) Orchid Cactus, Epiphyllum
(f24r) Silene latifolia, Campion; S. cucubalus, S. conica
(f25r) Triadenum virginicum?, needs further investigation
(f27v) French Marigold, Tagetes patula
(f30v) Meadowsweet, Filipendula ulmaria
(f31v) Fernleaf Yarrow, Achillea filipendulina
(f32r) Lantana camara
(f33v) Sunflower?, compare to Pulicaria dysenterica
(f34r) Masterwort, Astrantia major
(f37v) Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi, Stonecrop, Lavender-Scallops; K. englerii
(f38r) V-Shaped Palm Leaf, numerous possibilities; Asterogyne martiana
(f38v) Sempervivum Spangles (maybe?)
(f40v) Epiphyllum oxypetalum
(f42r) Sorrel, Rumex acetosa (left plant); Oxalis (suggested by Philip
Marshall; right plant)
(f46v) Feverfew, Tanacetum parthenium (also known as Chrysanthmum parthenium)
and Tanacetum vulgare
(f47r) Alchemilla vulgaris (Rosaceae), Lady's mantle (after Our Lady the
Virgin Mary), lion's  foot, bear's foot,
          leontopodium, Pied-de-Lion, and Frauenmantle
(f47v) Mountain Daisy, Arnica montana
(f50r) Kalanchoe
(f50v) Waratah, Telopea speciosissima
(f51r) Henbane?, needs further investigation
(f55v) Veltheimia bracteata (Forest Lily), needs further investigation
(f56r) Palm, Chamaedorea elegans
(f57r) Golden Flowered Henbane, Hyoscyamus aureus
(f87v) Senecio (right plant), S. elegans, S. glastifolius; Kleinia? (left
plant)
(f90r1) Papaver somniferum (Papaveraceae), center plant
(f92v?) Eruca vesicaria, subspecies sativa (middle of 3 plant drawings)
(f93r) Protea (Proteaceae) first choice; Sunflower (second runner-up),
Helianthus annuus
(f94r) Botrychium lunaria (found in Finland)
(f95r) Berberis nervosa
(f96v) Chenpodium bonus-henricus (Good King Henry)







Nick Pelling wrote:

> Hi everyone,
>
> Here's a list of VMS botanicals' names as possible cribs: but I don't know
> whether words pre- or post-date the VMS - eg, Linnaeus would (almost
> certainly) be later, etc. Can anybody please help fill in some (of the
> many) gaps, or add further VMS-friendly synonyms/translations?
>
> Thanks, .....Nick Pelling.....
>
> PS: Lingua Franca translations gladly received too. :-)
>
>                                 * * * * * * *
>
> f01v "Petersen's Belladonna"
>         solanum
>         solatrium               - Dioscorides, so OK
>         belladonna
>         nightshade
>         gran[i]a maggiore       - medieval ca 1500, so OK
>
> f02r "Petersen's Cornflower"
>         cyanus segetum
>         kornblume
>         cornflower
>         fiodaliso
>         caeruleus
>
> f02v "Water Lily (?)"
>         nymphaea alba
>         water lily
>         seerose
>
> f07v "Dana Scott's lungwort"
>         pulmonaria (Latin)
>         polmonaria (Italian)
>         pulmonaire or "herbe aux poumons" (French)
>         Lungwort (English)
>         lungenkraut (German)
>         longkruid (Dutch)
>         pisani pljucnik (Czech)
>
> f09v "viola tricolor"
>         herba trinitatis
>         heartsease
>         wild pansy
>         viola trinitalis