f17r

[MarcoP]

In You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. Marco provides the parallel with the "Herba Hochulus Christi" plant. I'm not sure why Segre Rutz identifies it with Lithospermum, because "Oculus Christi" is one of the species of Inula, and I guess this botanical name derives from some tradition?!

The eye in the root is a very good matching pattern, however the flowers are of a different colour (and, moreover, the real Inula flowers are yet of an altogether different colour).

I am sorry, but I messed things up with that post

BNF Latin 17844 has the Alchemical plant Oculus Domini at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.. Segre-Rutz' identification is about that plant.

The same ms has Hochulus Christi (should be Oculus Christi) at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view..The BNF site identifies the plant as aunée (Elecampane, Inula helenium).

BTW, there is a third version (!) at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.: Hoculus Dei, with hand-roots and eye-flowers. The site identifies it again with Elecampane, but it's a completely different plant.

I guess that when I posted that parallel I was not aware of the fact that the Alchemical Herbal often comes with a large set of more scientifically illustrated plants (likely derived from the Circa Instans tradition): that was pointed out by Rene here on the forum.


Anyway, the plant I originally posted (101r) is the only one that looks comparable with the Voynich plant. A proper identification would require some research. There seem to be a second Latin label in red (and one in Hebrew), but I cannot read it.

[PS: the red label re-appears identically in other plants; it is not a plant name, but some other kind of annotation ]