[2059] “Flame.” Sprengel identifies it with the Agrostemma coronaria of Linnæus, making the flower of Jove to be the Agrostemma flos Jovis.
[2060] Fée remarks, that if this is our Thymus serpyllum, this exception is inexact.
[2061] For two islands of this name, see B. iv. c. 20, and c. 23.
[2062] The female Abrotonum is identified with the Santolina chamæcyparissus of Linnæus: the little-cypress Santoline. The male is the Artemisia abrotonum of Linnæus, our southern-wood.
[2063] Pliny has probably committed an error here in transcribing from Theophrastus, Hist. Plant. B. vi. c. 7, who, when speaking of the abrotonum, says, “It is transplanted in earthen pots, in the way employed for the gardens of Adonis,” these gardens being moveable parterres, laid out in pots or vases. We cannot agree with Hardouin, who looks upon the Adonium as a variety of the Abrotonum, and censures Salmasius for accusing Pliny of committing an error here.
[2064] The “White flower.” See B. xxii. c. [26].
[2065] See B. xiii. c. 2. The sampsuchum, or amaracus, is generally thought to be the sweet marjoram, or Origanum marjorana of Linnæus. But Fée identifies it with the Origanum majoranoides of Willdenow, our organy, wild or false marjoram.
[2066] The “night-watcher.” According to Sprengel, this is the Cæsalpina pulcherrima of Linnæus. But, as Fée says, that is entirely an Indian plant, and has only been introduced but very recently into Europe. Hardouin identifies it with a plant called “lunaria” by the naturalists of his day, which shines, he says, with the moon at night.
[2067] The Cæsalpina pulcherrima is not to be found in or near Gedrosia (in ancient Persia), but solely on the shores of the Bay of Bengal.