Last Update: 31.05.2011 09:42
Old-English: getewurt, greatevyrt, greate wyrt, greatewyrt,
Latin (Machine generated): BERIBALBUM, GERIBULBUM, HIERIBULBUM,
↑ topSome specis of Primula have large roots (cf. Lindheim 1941,n.198) but the name 'holy bulb, Heilige Zwiebel' (Gk ίερό-βολβος) hardly seems to match this plant. Stracke (Laud, n.720) doubts Lindheim's identification: "The presence of warance in our gloss tends to support Cockayne's assertion. […] the use of warance beside Laud's getewurt might indicate that the plant in question is not Primrose but C. autumnale."
According to André (1985, s.v.) L HIERIBULBUM denotes M. comosum Mill.; looking at the plant image in the L HA (Howald / Sigerist 21) the flowers seem to support this identification[1]. But the plant is in all respects very similar to C. autumnale, especially in the bulbous root. Thus, it could still be that the OE translator identified the plant as C. autumnale.
Colchicum autumnale L., meadow saffron, Herbstzeitlose |
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Botanical-Information: stylised plate Source: →reference-information
Thomé, Otto Wilhelm.
Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. In 4 Mappen ; 531 Tafeln in naturgetreuen Farben mit 668 Pflanzenarten. Leipzip: Teubner, 1938.
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?? Primula veris L., cowslip, Echte Schlüsselblume |
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Botanical-Information: stylised plate Source: →reference-information
Thomé, Otto Wilhelm.
Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. In 4 Mappen ; 531 Tafeln in naturgetreuen Farben mit 668 Pflanzenarten. Leipzip: Teubner, 1938.
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Muscari comosum Mill., tassel hyacinth, Schopfige Traubenhyazinthe |
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Botanical-Information: stylised plate
Thomé, Otto Wilhelm.
Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz. In 4 Mappen ; 531 Tafeln in naturgetreuen Farben mit 668 Pflanzenarten. Leipzip: Teubner, 1938.
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Cf. the modern depiction of the plant.
Dur 199: HIEREBULUM cusloppe. The double entry of the L lemma seems peculiar: in Dur OE tranlations are normally connected with UEL (cf. Dur 186: GENTIANA eorthnutu UEL feldvirt.
Hilbelink: HIERIBULUM.
Cf. Stracke (1974,720): "For OF. warance, compare WARENTIA, which is Madder, Rubia tinctorum (cf. FB,p.82), a plant used in the production of red dye. Since the Meadow saffron can be used for the same purpose, the use of warance [...] might indicate that the plant in question is [...] C. autumnale."
Cf. Cockayne (1962,II,389): "Hb. xxii. HIERIBULUS, which according to Zedler is COLCHICUM; and this plant is drawn in MS. G.", and Hunger (1935,167). L HIERIBULUM (Gk. ίερό-βολβος) sometimes denotes C. autumnale; also cf. CGL 3,565,58: IRUBULUM .I. BULBUM AGRESTE, which is either C. autumnale or Narcissus L. (cf. André 1985, s.v. BULBUS).
Etymology: The name grēate wyrt should probably not be transalted with 'great wort' but rather with 'coarse root' (cf. s.v. →wyrt), referring to the 7 cm long, bulbous root (cf. Hegi 1906,II,195) which is used in LB 81/24: þa greatan wyrt, ascrep þa greatan rind of.