Of Thistles and Hats. Carlina vulgaris, Carline Thistle, and a Bumblebee, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
It's right after the weekend and you might have had need of this Carline Thistle. In his description, Abraham Munting (1626-1683) also writes something about its medicinal uses. Now, our Munting was a clever man and a real scientist as well; in his works he often emphasises how important precise observation is for good botany. He wasn't easily led down the garden path. A case in point is what he says about the efficacy of this Thistle. It's not useful for much except that its root ground down in wine and swallowed can cure a variety of intestinal ailments (leading to e.g. vomiting). Munting then adds clearly tongue in cheek: "... of maar alleen op de hoed gestoken (volgens 't berigt van CLUSIUS)" (= or even if it's stuck in one's hat [according to the report of Clusius]). Famous Carolus Clusius (1526-1609) had published his book on rare plants in 1601; in the section devoted to Carline Thistle, he remarks that he himself had ever observed - Certè aliquando observavi - that the servants of nobles would stick this Thistle on their masters' hats to keep them from being sick to the stomach. Clearly Munting is sceptical and hence his parenthetical attribution to Clusius. Moreover, he's also wisely silent about the then still well-known legend that Carline Thistle was named after Charlemagne who was said to have cured his army from the plague by its medicinal use. Whether our Abraham experimented by putting Carlina on his own hat during a university feast, we have no way of knowing.
Oh! Yes! That's a Bumblebee in the photo as well...
Of Thistles and Hats. Carlina vulgaris, Carline Thistle, and a Bumblebee, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
It's right after the weekend and you might have had need of this Carline Thistle. In his description, Abraham Munting (1626-1683) also writes something about its medicinal uses. Now, our Munting was a clever man and a real scientist as well; in his works he often emphasises how important precise observation is for good botany. He wasn't easily led down the garden path. A case in point is what he says about the efficacy of this Thistle. It's not useful for much except that its root ground down in wine and swallowed can cure a variety of intestinal ailments (leading to e.g. vomiting). Munting then adds clearly tongue in cheek: "... of maar alleen op de hoed gestoken (volgens 't berigt van CLUSIUS)" (= or even if it's stuck in one's hat [according to the report of Clusius]). Famous Carolus Clusius (1526-1609) had published his book on rare plants in 1601; in the section devoted to Carline Thistle, he remarks that he himself had ever observed - Certè aliquando observavi - that the servants of nobles would stick this Thistle on their masters' hats to keep them from being sick to the stomach. Clearly Munting is sceptical and hence his parenthetical attribution to Clusius. Moreover, he's also wisely silent about the then still well-known legend that Carline Thistle was named after Charlemagne who was said to have cured his army from the plague by its medicinal use. Whether our Abraham experimented by putting Carlina on his own hat during a university feast, we have no way of knowing.
Oh! Yes! That's a Bumblebee in the photo as well...