Colubrina

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Colubrina dracontea ut Dyascorides suo capitulo Macer idem.


Apparatus:

Colubrina ABC efp | Colũbrina j
dracontea | dragontea ef
suo capitulo | c. s. AC


Translation:

Colubrina is a name for dracontea, which is described in Dyascorides in the appropriate chapter. The same is true for Macer.


Commentary:

Colubrina:
Latin colubrina {sc. herba} is the feminine form of colubrinus "snake-like" < coluber {"snake"}. For the naming motive see Macer and botanical identification below.

dracontea:
For Dioscorides’ account see Dragontea.


This is from Macer Floridus, De viribus herbarum, chapter LIV. COLUBRINA, where in verses 1728-1730 [[1]] it says:

1728: Herba, Dragonteam Graecorum quam vocat usus,
1729: Haec eadem vulgi lingua Colubrina vocatur,
1730 Quod colubro similis maculoso cortice surgit ….
"The herb which Greek linguistic usage calls Dragontea, // this same herb is called Colubrina in the language of the people,// it sprouts up {looking} similar to a coluber {"snake"} with speckled skin …"


Botanical identification:

According to André (1985: 72) s.v. colubrīna this is Arum dracunculus L. {syn. of Dracunculus vulgaris Schott} [[2]]. He calls it a ”plante tachetée comme une couleuvre” {i.e. ‘a plant speckled like a snake’} [[3]].


WilfGunther 15:51, 23 October 2014 (BST)


See also: Coluber, Dragontea


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