Apochinus

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Apochinus, Plinius frutex est folia edere habens molliora minus tamen longis viticulis, semine acuto diviso lanuginoso gravi odore canes et omnes quadrupedes necat in cibo datum et cetera.


Apparatus:

Apochinus | Apocynon Pliny
frutex A ef | fructex BC jp
habens om. e
molliora | moliora B
minus tamen | nõ ita f
minus | minuta ms. e
tamen om. e
viticulis | uiciculis p | u’glis j
acuto | accuto ms. e
lanuginoso | lanuginosso f
canes om. AC
omnes | oi͠s {= omnis} p
quadrupedes ABC e | quadrupes fjp
in cibo om. f
etcetera om. efj


Translation:

Apochinus according to Pliny is a shrub that has leaves similar to edera {“ivy”}, but softer and it has less long tendrils, with pointed downy seeds and a strong smell, and it kills dogs and all quadrupeds when it is given to them with their food.


Commentary:

This is a near verbatim excerpt from Pliny, 24, 58, 98, ed. W.H.S. Jones (1938-63: VII.72).

Pliny’s Apochinus and Dyascorides’ Astroquinon describe the same plant, as proven by the near parallel descriptions of the plant. Obviously the two authors excerpted from the same source. There is however no cross reference between Simon’s two entries and one must suspect that the degree of corruption in the name Astroquinon may have prevented Simon from recognising the identity of the two names.


Apochinus:
Greek ἀπόκυνον /apókynon/, itacist /apókinon/, is the form Simon wants to portray; the spelling with “ch” is hypercorrect, also there is a change in gender from neuter to masculine.

For an analysis of ἀπόκυνον /apókynon/ see the Commentary to Astroquinon.


WilfGunther (talk) 14:09, 19 September 2015 (BST)


See also Astroquinon.


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