f17r

[MarcoP]

To refresh a bit neglected "plant mnemonics" discourse, I'd like to propose to try to identify the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. plant.

In fact, when Helmut and Marco were discussing the "mallier" marginalia in the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. thread, Marco mentioned that the luc'z abbreviation could stand for the accusative "lucem" which also means "eyesight", and which corresponds to the "eyes" depicted in the roots of the plant.

This just triggered my memory of the plant, and the only line that I remember of Miechowsky "Conservatio sanitatis": "miraculus in reparatione visus", which is said of Euphrasia. Now, Pritzel lists quite a number of folk names of Euprasia that feature components such as "Augen-" or "Licht-", such as "Augenkraut".

It has been mentioned recently in the forum that Pritzel is not very reliable source, but this is not the case where we should be on guard, because e.g. in Russian Euphrasia is called "Очанка" which derives from (now quite obsolete) "Очи" (= Eyes).

Although some of Euphrasia have violet flowers, neither the leaves nor the flowers of You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. look very much like Euphrasia. So my suggestion would be to develop the eyes mnemonics further and to:

- look what other plants are recommended to improve eyesight or cure eye diseases (my №1 suggestion for the roots mnemonics)
- look what oher plant names may refer to eyes (my №2 suggestion for the roots mnemonics)
- discuss what the leaves mnemonics for this plant can be and how this could correlate to the eyes mnemonics of the roots.

This time it was Helmut suggesting "lucem"  But I did think along a similar line You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..

Segre Rutz suggests a connection with Euphrasia for two of the alchemical plants:
76 You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. ("lumen" is also "light" in Latin)
77 You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (I guess this is by assonance)
The text indicates both as cures for eye spots.

Segre Rutz is doubtful about the identification of plant 76, but her idea is clearly confirmed by the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (p.29) which has "Eufragia vel Luminella". 

The illustration of Eufrasia in the late copy of Cadamosto's herbal You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. was annotated in German augentrost.