Echisa

Echis Plinius hoc pseudo ancusa dicitur lanuginosior quam ancusa et minus pinguis tenuioribus foliis et languidioribus, radix in oleum non fundit rubentem succum: et hoc ab ancusa discernitur et cetera; scitum est supra quod ancusa est lactuca asini.

Apparatus:

Echis B efjp | Echisa AC
hoc | vel f
pseudo ancusa ABC ep | pseudo anchusa fj
lanuginosior | lanugonosis f
{quam} ancusa ABC e | anchusa fjp
{radix} in add. B fjp | est in add. e | om. AC
oleum | olleũ B | in oleo Pliny
succum AC | sucum B efjp
et ab hoc A | et (ex B) hoc ab BC efj | ĩ ho? ab p
{hoc} ancusa ABC e | anchusa fjp
discernitur | dicernit~ l’ discernit~ j
et cetera om. f
scitum | dei͡n f {= deinde}
{quod} ancusa | anchusa fj
asini | aʒini ej

Translation:

Echis, according to Pliny is also called pseudo-anchusa, it is more downy than anchusa and less thick, with thinner leaves and more droopy. The root put in oil does not exude a reddish juice, which distinguishes it from the real anchusa, etc.
{Simon adds:} In the entry Anchusa above it is ascertained that anchusa is also called lactuca asini {“donkey’s milk”}.

Commentary:

Simon is referring to Pliny Natural History, 22, 24, 50, ed. W.H.S. Jones (1938-63: VI, 326).

Echis:
Greek ἔχις /ékhis/ means ‘viper’ but the name is here transferred to a plant, apparently because its flower or seed were seen as reminiscent of a viper’s head.
For other occurrences of this word root cf. Echeon < ἔχιον /ékhion/; Echidna < ἔχιδνα /ékhidna/.

This same plant is also described in Dioscorides, who must have excerpted it from the same source as Pliny. The original Greek text can be found in 4, 27, ed. Wellmann (1906-14: II, 190f): ἔχιον /ékhion/ [[1]].

The name appears in Dioscorides Longobardus, 4, 26, ed. Stadler (1899: 20) as acion {= ἔχιον /ékhion/} in a chapter entitled: De acion idest sibissono [[2]].
N.b. sibissono is a rare late Latin synonym of unknown origin, cf. André (1985: 238) s.v. sibissa.

Botanical identification:

Dioscorides offers more information than Pliny to help identification, i.e. that the flower is πορφυροειδές /porphyroeidés/, in Longobardus purpureus also meaning “purply”. Furthermore he states that the fruits of the plant appear similar to a viper’s head: ὁ καρπὸς ἔχεως κεφαλῇ ὅμοιος /ho karpós ékheōs kephalê hómoios/, Longobardus: semen est veluti caput serpentes {sic !}.

Berendes (1902: 380) identifies ἔχιον /ékhion/ as Echium rubrum Jacq. {non Forsk.}. Unfortunately the taxonomic status of this plant is quite unresolved and seems to be in utter disarray, with many synonyms in different genera like Echium and Pontechium, e.g Echium maculatum L., Echium russicum J.F.Gmel., Pontechium maculatum (L.) BÖHLE & HILGER and many more. At any rate whatever the future outcome, whether there will be one or more species to which the plant(s) will be assigned, it will look similar to P. maculatum [[3]], which has a fitting south-eastern European distribution.
André (1985) sees it as Echium plantagineum L. “purple viper's-bugloss” [[4]]; or Echium rubrum L. The fruits of P. plantagineum could be thought to somewhat resemble a viper’s head [[5]]. It is of little surprise that in accord with the doctrine of signature the plant was thought to be effective in preventing and healing snake bites.

WilfGunther (talk) 14:56, 17 October 2016 (BST)

See also Anchusa, Lactuca asini

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