VMS -- Botany (f28v) Cocoxochitil

[Dana Scott <dfscott@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am quite confident that the VMS plant drawing (with radiant sun
flower) in f28v represents Dahlia (probably D. imperialis). This
particular Dahlia flower shape is referred to as Semi-Cactus Dahlia. In
some locations Dahlia is referred to as Georgina. Dahlia was named after
the Swedish Botanist Andreas Dahl (1751-1789), a student under Linnaeus.

Snowbound:
http://www.aplacetoremember.com/MyDahlia/Snowboun.jpg

Dahlia imperialis (Roezl)
http://www.dipbot.unict.it/orto/1089-1.html

This flower is indiginous to Mexico which dates the VMS from 1492. It is
the national flower of Mexico and the city flower of San Francisco. It
was known to the Aztecs as Cocoxochitil which means 'water pipes'. The
stems are hollow (up to 3 inches in diameter) and were used to carry
water. It is believed that Aztec medicinal uses included "treatment of
uninary disorder" and epilepsy. I hope this identification won't turn
into a Mexican standoff. Please don't shoot the messenger. There is a
considerable amount of information here and the implications may be
substantial. With this identification I am no prepared to pursue a full
examination of Western Hemisphere plants as a possible source for the
herbal drawings in the VMS.

Dahlia Story: (60 years after Columbus)
http://www.sfheart.com/dahlia.html
http://www.botanyworld.com/dahlia.html
http://www.herbalremedies-e.com/herbs-d/dahlia.html
http://www.dahlia.org/basic1.html
http://www.arcadian-archives.com/dahlia.htm
http://www.discoveredmonton.com/devonian/getgro27.html
http://www.flowermonthclub.com/history.htm
http://www.cavicchio.com/catalog/dahlia.htm
http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Spring/Detail/04724.html

Badianus Manuscript 1582, Aztec Herbal, 1st record
http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/online.bks/prophet/biblio.htm

Additional Photos of hybrids:

All Triumph: (Notice the hint of an S shaped slit at the center of the
flower similar to center of f28v)
http://montereybaynsy.com/D/dahlia%20all%20triumph1.jpg

Baron Evan:
http://www.aplacetoremember.com/MyDahlia/baronevan.jpg

Penn's Gift:
http://www.gladiola.com/Dahlia/pennsgift.jpg

Hamari Gold:
http://communities.msn.ca/PacificRimDahliaClub/kuiperspix.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=107

Wanda's Capella:
http://www.dahlianet.org/images/NCDS99/CourtOfHonor/Wanda'sCapella.jpg

Bonaventure:
http://elkhorngardens.com/bonaventure2.jpg

Mingus Wesley:
http://www.aplacetoremember.com/MyDahlia/MingWes.jpg

Sir Alf Ramsey:
http://www.aplacetoremember.com/MyDahlia/siralframsey.jpg

Almond Delight:
http://www.elkhorngardens.com/AlmondDelight.jpg

Takachilo:
http://sddelorm.free.fr/potager/dahlias/laurent/dahlia1.jpg

Maisey Mooney:
http://elkhorngardens.com/MaiseyMooney.jpg

Munchen:
http://montereybaynsy.com/D/dahlia%20munchen1.jpg

Dahlia:
http://www.graficimages.com/2589%20Dahlia.JPG

Happy Face: (Dahlia hybrid)
http://montereybaynsy.com/D/dahlia%20happy%20face1.jpg

Ornamental Plants at Ogongo (Namibia)
http://www.unam.na/1710/Ornament.htm
http://www.unam.na/1710/Dahlia_4.jpg

Nice Personal Dahlia Website:
http://www.susansgardenpatch.com/indahlia.htm

Aztec Herbals:
http://www.tobacco.org/History/aztecs.html
http://unimaxsupply.com/books/nativecamer/1aztecherb.htm

Dried Leaves: (Notice paired leaves around stem)
http://solandra.botany.utexas.edu/tribehelianthe/Dahlia%20cardiophylla%2000136971.JPG

Dahlia imperialis:
http://solandra.botany.utexas.edu/tribehelianthe/Dahlia%20imperialis%2000136800.JPG

Illustration:
http://www.bankstowncrafts.com.au/images/Dahlia_s.jpg
http://www.trimbelleriver.com/stencils/stencllg/full%20dahlia.jpg

Tubers:
http://www.dahlias.net/dahwebpg/TuberStor/TuberStor4.htm

Dahlia pinnata: (Central Twist)
http://plantsdatabase.com/showimage/967/index.html

Close-up:
http://bstorage.com/wksphoto/Dahlia2K/PIX/1657IMG0054.jpg

Mexican Ethnobotany:
http://mahogany.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/Benson/bibnot/bn-92.html

Bernardino Sahagún: (Franciscan, Spanish missionary in Mexico)
http://www.finns-books.com/florent.htm
http://archaeology.la.asu.edu/tm/pages2/mtm09.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13325a.htm
http://www.phil.uni-sb.de/fr/romanistik/span/sahagun.html
http://www.fundacionpaz.org.mx/calendario/2000_junio_sahagun.html
http://www.redesc.ilce.edu.mx/redescolar/efemerides/febrero/conme5.htm
http://www.canalsocial.com/biografia/religionteologia/bernardinosahagun.htm

http://www.mlab.uiah.fi/simultaneous/Text/bio_sahagun.html

Perfume Bottle:
http://pjdesigns.com/pj/images/daum-dahlia-pb.jpg

VMS Scribe would have been pleased by this flower:
http://bstorage.com/wksphoto/dahlia/thumb/IMG_7343.jpg

Regards,
Dana Scott