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Leyden Papyrus X
The Leyden papyrus X (P. Leyden X) is a papyrus codex written in Greek at about the end of the 3rd century A.D.E.R.Caley, ''The Leyden Paprus X: An English Translation with Brief Notes''p.1149 "These two papyri have, however, upon the basis of unquestioned philological and paleographic evidence, been ascertained to have been written at about the end of the third century A.D. so that they are by far the earliest original historical evidence that we have in our possession concerning the nature and the extent of ancient chemical knowledge." or perhaps around 250 A.D. and buried with its owner, and today preserved at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Origin The Leiden papyrus was discovered at Thebes in Egypt, together with the Stockholm Papyrus, which was probably written by the same scribe, and many Greek magical papyri, in the early 19th century by an adventurer calling himself Giovanni Anastasi (merchant), Jean d'Anastasi, holding the office of Swedish vice-consul in Alexandri ...
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Papyrus
Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, ''Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'' or ''papyruses'') can also refer to a document written on sheets of such material, joined side by side and rolled up into a scroll, an early form of a book. Papyrus was first known to have been used in Egypt (at least as far back as the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty), as the papyrus plant was once abundant across the Nile Delta. It was also used History of the Mediterranean, throughout the Mediterranean region. Apart from writing material, ancient Egyptians employed papyrus in the construction of other Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, such as reed boats, mats, rope, sandals, and baskets. History Papyrus was first manufactured in Egypt as far back as the third millennium BCE.H. Idris Bell and T.C. Skeat, 1935"Papyrus and its uses"(British Museum pam ...
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Styrax
''Styrax'' (common names storax or snowbell) is a genus of about 130 species of large shrubs or small trees in the family Styracaceae, mostly native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the majority in eastern and southeastern Asia, but also crossing the equator in South America.Fritsch ''et al.'' (2001) The resin obtained from the tree is called benzoin or storax (not to be confused with the ''Liquidambar'' storax balsam), often used as a vanilla-like component in perfumery. The genus ''Pamphilia'', sometimes regarded as distinct, is now included within ''Styrax'' based on analysis of morphological and DNA sequence data. The spicebush (''Lindera benzoin'') is a different plant, in the family Lauraceae. Styrax trees grow to 2–14 m tall, and have alternate, deciduous or evergreen simple ovate leaves 1–18 cm long and 2–10 cm broad. The flowers are pendulous, with a white 5–10-lobed corolla, produced 3–30 together on ...
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Viola Alba
Viola alba, commonly known as white violet, is a species of violet in the family Violaceae. References *Berichte der Bayerischen Botanischen Gesellschaft zur Erforschung der heimischen Flora 8:257. 1902 Plants described in 1809 alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English-language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kingd ... Taxa named by Wilibald Swibert Joseph Gottlieb von Besser {{Violaceae-stub ...
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Narcissus (plant)
''Narcissus'' is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plant, perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil,The word "daffodil" is also applied to related genera such as ''Sternbergia'', ''Ismene (plant), Ismene'', and ''Fritillaria meleagris''. It has been suggested that the word "Daffodil" be restricted to the wild species of the British Isles, ''Narcissus pseudonarcissus, N. pseudonarcissus''. narcissus (plural narcissi), and jonquil, are used to describe some or all members of the genus. ''Narcissus'' has conspicuous flowers with six petal-like tepals surmounted by a cup- or trumpet-shaped Corona (plant structure), corona. The flowers are generally white and yellow (also orange or pink in garden varieties), with either uniform or contrasting coloured tepals and corona. ''Narcissi'' were well known in ancient civilisation, both medicinally and botanically, but were formally described by Carl Linnaeus, Lin ...
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Buttercup
''Ranunculus'' is a large genus of about 1750 species of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae. Members of the genus are known as buttercups, spearworts and water crowfoots. The genus is distributed worldwide, primarily in temperate and montane regions. The familiar and widespread buttercup of gardens throughout Northern Europe (and introduced elsewhere) is the creeping buttercup '' Ranunculus repens'', which has extremely tough and tenacious roots. Two other species are also widespread, the bulbous buttercup '' Ranunculus bulbosus'' and the much taller meadow buttercup '' Ranunculus acris''. In ornamental gardens, all three are often regarded as weeds. Buttercups usually flower in the spring, but flowers may be found throughout the summer, especially where the plants are growing as opportunistic colonizers, as in the case of garden weeds. The water crowfoots (''Ranunculus'' subgenus ''Batrachium''), which grow in still or running water, are sometimes treated in a sep ...
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Lotus Flower
''Nelumbo nucifera'', also known as the pink lotus, sacred lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant taxon, extant species of aquatic plant in the Family (biology), family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called a water lily, though this more often refers to members of the family Nymphaeaceae. The lotus belongs in the order Proteales. Lotus plants are adapted to grow in the flood plains of slow-moving rivers and delta areas. Stands of lotus drop hundreds of thousands of seeds every year to the bottom of the pond. While some sprout immediately and most are eaten by wildlife, the remaining seeds can remain dormant for an extensive period of time as the pond silts in and dries out. During flood conditions, sediments containing these seeds are broken open, and the dormant seeds rehydrate and begin a new lotus colony. It is cultivated in nutrient-rich, loamy, and often flooded soils, requiring warm temperatures and specific planting depths, with propagat ...
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Lily
''Lilium'' ( ) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large and often prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the Northern Hemisphere and their range is temperate climates and extends into the subtropics. Many other plants have "lily" in their common names, but do not belong to the same genus and are therefore not true lilies. True lilies are known to be highly toxic to cats. Description Lilies are tall perennials ranging in height from . They form naked or tunicless scaly underground bulbs which are their organs of perennation. In some North American species the base of the bulb develops into rhizomes, on which numerous small bulbs are found. Some species develop stolons. Most bulbs are buried deep in the ground, but a few species form bulbs near the soil surface. Many species form stem-roots. With these, the bulb grows naturally a ...
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Marjoram
Marjoram (, ''Origanum majorana'') is a cold-sensitive perennial plant, perennial herb or undershrub with sweet pine and citrus flavours. In some Middle Eastern countries, marjoram is synonymous with oregano, and there the names sweet marjoram and knotted marjoram are used to distinguish it from other plants of the genus ''Origanum''. It is also called pot marjoram, although this name is also used for other cultivated species of ''Origanum''. History Marjoram is indigenous to Cyprus, the Mediterranean, Turkey, Western Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Levant, and was known to the ancient Ancient Greece, Greeks and Ancient Rome, Romans as a symbol of happiness. It may have spread to the British Isles during the Middle Ages. Marjoram was not widely used in the United States until after World War II. The name marjoram (Old French: ''majorane''; ) does not directly derive from the Latin word (major). Marjoram is related to Samhain, the Ancient Celtic religion, Celtic pagan ho ...
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Nard (plant)
''Nardostachys'' is a genus of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae). ''Nardostachys jatamansi'' is the sole species in genus. It is a perennial that grows in the Himalayas, primarily in a belt through Kumaon, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan at elevations of , and in northern Myanmar and western and central China. It is a source of a type of intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil, spikenard. The oil has, since ancient times, been used as a perfume, as a traditional medicine, and in religious ceremonies. It is also called spikenard, nard, nardin, or muskroot. It is considered endangered due to overharvesting for folk medicine, overgrazing, loss of habitats, and forest degradation. Description The plant grows in height and has pink, bell-shaped flowers. Rhizomes (underground stems) can be crushed and distilled into an intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil, which is very thick in consistency. Nard oil is used as a perfume, an incense, a sedative, ...
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Myrrh
Myrrh (; from an unidentified ancient Semitic language, see '' § Etymology'') is a gum-resin extracted from a few small, thorny tree species of the '' Commiphora'' genus, belonging to the Burseraceae family. Myrrh resin has been used throughout history in medicine, perfumery, and incenses. Myrrh mixed with posca or wine was widely used in many ancient cultures to produce pleasurable feelings and as an anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Extraction and production When a cut on a tree penetrates through the bark and into the sapwood, the tree secretes a resin. Myrrh gum, like frankincense, is such a resin. Myrrh is harvested by repeatedly cutting the trees to bleed the gum, which is waxy and coagulates quickly. After the harvest, the gum becomes hard and glossy. The gum is yellowish and may be either clear or opaque. It darkens deeply as it ages, and white streaks emerge. Myrrh gum is commonly harvested from trees of the genus Commiphora. It is commonly extracted fro ...
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Cinnamomum Cassia
''Cinnamomum cassia'', called Chinese cassia or Chinese cinnamon, is an evergreen tree originating in southern China and widely cultivated there and elsewhere in South and Southeast Asia. It is one of several species of ''Cinnamomum'' used primarily for its aromatic bark, which is used as a spice. The buds are also used as a spice, especially in India, and were used by the ancient Romans. Description The tree grows to tall, with grayish bark and hard, elongated leaves that are long and reddish when young. Origin and types Chinese cassia is a close relative to Ceylon cinnamon ('' C. verum''), Saigon cinnamon (''C. loureiroi''), Indonesian cinnamon ('' C. burmannii''), and Malabar cinnamon ('' C. citriodorum''). In all five species, the dried bark is used as a spice. Chinese cassia's flavor is less delicate than that of Ceylon cinnamon. Its bark is thicker, more difficult to crush, and has a rougher texture than that of Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia cinnamon is the most popular ...
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Nard (plant)
''Nardostachys'' is a genus of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae). ''Nardostachys jatamansi'' is the sole species in genus. It is a perennial that grows in the Himalayas, primarily in a belt through Kumaon, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan at elevations of , and in northern Myanmar and western and central China. It is a source of a type of intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil, spikenard. The oil has, since ancient times, been used as a perfume, as a traditional medicine, and in religious ceremonies. It is also called spikenard, nard, nardin, or muskroot. It is considered endangered due to overharvesting for folk medicine, overgrazing, loss of habitats, and forest degradation. Description The plant grows in height and has pink, bell-shaped flowers. Rhizomes (underground stems) can be crushed and distilled into an intensely aromatic amber-colored essential oil, which is very thick in consistency. Nard oil is used as a perfume, an incense, a sedative, ...
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