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+--- Thread: f52r "Ankh Root" and Pal. Lat. 1078 (/thread-5758.html)
f52r "Ankh Root" and Pal. Lat. 1078 - stopsquark - 18-05-2026
I've been poking around the Cod. Pal. Lat fond on DigiVatLib and noticed a pretty interesting herbal I haven't seen many people talk about here.
The You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. is post-VMS-- an Italian Alchemical herbal dating to the 1500s (quite late!). It's briefly discussed in You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., but as he notes, it generally seems to be poorly-documented. While the manuscript doesn't label the herbs like other alchemical herbals do, it seems like there are a handful of matches for VMS plants.In particular, I was very struck by how much You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in this MS matches You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in the VMS:
I haven't been able to find any other roots in other manuscripts with a similar "ankh" shape, so I was pretty excited to see this one. This also suggests to me that the root shape probably isn't serving a symbolic function that is isolated to the VMS, if it's duplicated elsewhere in other herbals. I'm not good enough at Italian to confidently transcribe this or attempt an ID- does anyone have thoughts as to what plant this might be?
Additionally- I did notice some other correspondences, in particular You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in this herbal and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in the VMS, which both feature a plant with two heads in its roots (here called "herba illibotus"). However, the leaves don't quite line up.
RE: f52r "Ankh Root" and Pal. Lat. 1078 - Linda - 19-05-2026
(18-05-2026, 06:24 PM)stopsquark Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I've been poking around the Cod. Pal. Lat fond on DigiVatLib and noticed a pretty interesting herbal I haven't seen many people talk about here.
The You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. is post-VMS-- an Italian Alchemical herbal dating to the 1500s (quite late!). It's briefly discussed in You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., but as he notes, it generally seems to be poorly-documented. While the manuscript doesn't label the herbs like other alchemical herbals do, it seems like there are a handful of matches for VMS plants.In particular, I was very struck by how much You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in this MS matches You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in the VMS:
I haven't been able to find any other roots in other manuscripts with a similar "ankh" shape, so I was pretty excited to see this one. This also suggests to me that the root shape probably isn't serving a symbolic function that is isolated to the VMS, if it's duplicated elsewhere in other herbals. I'm not good enough at Italian to confidently transcribe this or attempt an ID- does anyone have thoughts as to what plant this might be?
Additionally- I did notice some other correspondences, in particular You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in this herbal and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in the VMS, which both feature a plant with two heads in its roots (here called "herba illibotus"). However, the leaves don't quite line up.
The second set reminds me of Sweet potato, evidently Polynesians had found them in South America and brought them back 400 years previous to the vms carbon dating, maybe our makers saw those somehow? I have grown them and other than the bulbous part of the flower it would be drawn pretty well.
![[Image: sweet-potato-plant-a-tropical-vine-with-...AXJ4R9.jpg]](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/AXJ4R9/sweet-potato-plant-a-tropical-vine-with-an-edible-tuberous-root-hand-AXJ4R9.jpg)
However the Ai told me
Quote:Illibotus is a mythical or alchemical plant that appears in medieval esoteric botanical texts and fantastical herbals.In this tradition, the plant is typically described as "magiferous," possessing hidden, naturally occurring magical properties granted by celestial and astrological influences. It is distinct for having highly stylized, characteristic "faces" depicted on its roots in manuscript illustrations.Because illibotus belongs to pseudeponymous alchemical folklore rather than real-world botany, it has no known physical counterpart in the natural world.
This might apply to the other set too, but I thought I would look at Voynich Garden to see about any previous id's, and there are only 2,
Aristolochia
Ethel Voynich
I have never heard of this. Aka birthroot, is that why the circle? Used to be used for various things but that was before they figured out it causes kidney failure.
Garden Lovage
Edith Sherwood
I grow this. Haven't looked at the roots lately though, i just leave them where they are. 3rd year now.
Here is a Pic off the internet of one about as big as mine are right now. It does have hollow stems though. Could it be a mnemonic of a misunderstanding? Like, "where the stem attaches to the root, there is a hole in the middle such that air fills the space", drawn wrong, ie i meant the middle of the stem, the core of it, they thought the air went through the root before it grows stems. It still fits the description, though?
![[Image: 25-x-lovage-bare-roots-for-planting-easy...height=600]](https://media.diy.com/is/image/KingfisherDigital/25-x-lovage-bare-roots-for-planting-easy-grow-hardy-levisticum-officinale-perennial-herb-culinary-plant-for-soups-stews-salads~5061109475644_03c_MP?%24MOB_PREV%24&%24width=600&%24height=600)
Re You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. the answers were
Mandrake
Ethel Voynich
Papaver somniferum
Anonymous (Finland)
Fringed Campion
Velinska
Crowfoot
Edith Sherwood
Out of those I could see the Silene, but not S. fimbriata, I was thinking S. vulgaris, or maybe S. laciniatus. The leaves aren't right but they resemble them a bit when you take them off the plant, like you would do for medicine or as food, because it has clasping stems so sometimes a little bit of the clasping part would come with it.
![[Image: SileneLatifolia.jpg]](https://pfaf.org/Admin/PlantImages/SileneLatifolia.jpg)
The flowers would be a good match for either. They both have spreading rhizomes, the face roots I could only see as new plants about to grow from the rhizomes?
The other one with the hole, the leaves look just like what I just took out of my dark garage. It was a lilac bush in a pot, some stems with leaves grew out whiteish yellow, looked just like that picture, they are turning green now that i put it outside. I just checked and they get holes in the stems, but in the straw way. They are crazy rooters so it works the other way too, to get a circle out of strange rooting. Another crazy rooting plant is forsythia.
RE: f52r "Ankh Root" and Pal. Lat. 1078 - Yavernoxia - 19-05-2026
(18-05-2026, 06:24 PM)stopsquark Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.I've been poking around the Cod. Pal. Lat fond on DigiVatLib and noticed a pretty interesting herbal I haven't seen many people talk about here.I'm a native Italian speaker, and the text is quite hard to read / doesn't seem to match many similar medieval writings from the same period. Here's what I understand so far:
The You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. is post-VMS-- an Italian Alchemical herbal dating to the 1500s (quite late!). It's briefly discussed in You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view., but as he notes, it generally seems to be poorly-documented. While the manuscript doesn't label the herbs like other alchemical herbals do, it seems like there are a handful of matches for VMS plants.In particular, I was very struck by how much You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in this MS matches You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in the VMS:
I haven't been able to find any other roots in other manuscripts with a similar "ankh" shape, so I was pretty excited to see this one. This also suggests to me that the root shape probably isn't serving a symbolic function that is isolated to the VMS, if it's duplicated elsewhere in other herbals. I'm not good enough at Italian to confidently transcribe this or attempt an ID- does anyone have thoughts as to what plant this might be?
Additionally- I did notice some other correspondences, in particular You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in this herbal and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. in the VMS, which both feature a plant with two heads in its roots (here called "herba illibotus"). However, the leaves don't quite line up.
L’herba solo [?] al mal di [?] et [?] di [?] [?]
amangiare di questa herba con li ove la sera et
la matina guarirà presto et provato: [?] [?] [?]
quando non si [?] guarire [?] polvera et mitila in [?]
piaga [?] [?] ogni piagha et spario di vermi [?]
IA translation:
This herb alone [?] for the pain of [?] and [?] of [?] [?]
eat this herb with eggs in the evening and
in the morning it will provenly quickly heal: [?] [?] [?]
when it cannot [?] be healed [?] grind it into powder and put it into the [?]
wound [?] [?] every wound and drives away worms [?]
RE: f52r "Ankh Root" and Pal. Lat. 1078 - MarcoP - 23-05-2026
The plant with the loop in the roots is Alchemical Herbal #62, “Polexinas”, here called “Polo-rinas”. The illustration was considerably altered through the chain of copies that led to the BAV manuscript: the plant can only be recognized by also considering the name; the text confirms that indeed the source was #62.
Italian text from BAV manuscript:
Herba polo rinas al mal de testa et al fredo de petto usa
a mangiare di questa herba con le ove la sera et
lo matina, guaresce tosto et provato. Item a mal nascente
quando non se po guarire fandi polvera et mitila in su la
piaga, salda ben ogni piagha per spacio de jorni 20.
Translation:
Polerinas herb for headaches and chest cold; use this herb by eating it with eggs in the evening and in the morning, and one quickly recovers; it is proven. Likewise, for a developing wound, when it cannot otherwise be healed, make a powder of it and put it on the wound; it heals every wound well within the space of 20 days.
Translation of the earlier Latin source from the Pavia ms (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.):
For healing head ailments and chest colds: take this herb and eat it with eggs in the evening and in the morning, and this is proven for head pain. Also, for healing persistent wounds that cannot be healed: make a powder of this herb and put it on the inveterate wounds; they will be healed within ten days.
The parallel between the plant with two heads (Alchemical Herbal #41, “Illiloris”) and VMS You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. was discussed in 2014 on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (sadly, his web posts are getting more and more degraded with time). Stephen referenced the Vermont Herbal.
RE: f52r "Ankh Root" and Pal. Lat. 1078 - stopsquark - 24-05-2026
Are there other alchemical herbals that feature herba polexinas with a loop in the root? If we assume that this is the plant on f52r, it might help us place the VMS into a lineage with some of the other herbals.
RE: f52r "Ankh Root" and Pal. Lat. 1078 - Dana Scott - 24-05-2026
(8 hours ago)stopsquark Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Are there other alchemical herbals that feature herba polexinas with a loop in the root? If we assume that this is the plant on f52r, it might help us place the VMS into a lineage with some of the other herbals.
Notice how, with a little imagination, the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. root somewhat resembles a key when rotated 180 degrees.
Regards,
Dana Scott