L'Aconit et l'orpiment. Drogues et poison en Chine ancienne et médiévale

A comparison with the Liliaceae in Rothmaler (pp. 605-6) shows that the second plant is in fact Solomon's seal (Polygonatum multiflorum L., var., also called Meyglockchen). These examples reiterate a common pattern among medieval herbals. The pictures do not always show the plant in question. Rather, they reflect the botanical biases of the illustrator. Though these volumes are undoubtedly valuable, readers may also find it useful to supplement them with Edourd Ghaleb's Dictionnaire des sciences de la nature, 3 vols. Beirut, 1965 (Arabic-Latin-English-GermanFrench), and, more recently, Albert Dietrich (ed.), Dioscurides triumphans. Ein anonymer arabischer Kommentar (Ende 12. Jahrh. n. Chr) zur Materia medica. Arabischer text nebst kommentierter deutscher Ubersetzung. Teil 1,2 Gottingen 1988.