Policomos

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Policomos Dyascorides folia habet euzomo .i. eruce similia gustu viscida haste sunt illi grosse et quadre et flores simile ozimo et semen simile porro, radix est illi nigra et rotunda sicut mala maciana, nascitur locis asperis et cetera.


Apparatus:

Policomos AC | Policomas B ef Dyasc. alphabet. | Policomo Diosc.Long.

euzomo AC | euzomo sil'ia f | siml'ia euzomio e | sil'a eurõio B

eruce ABC e | euce f

similia om. B ef

.i. C ef | et B

haste AC | aste B ef

grosse B ef | crosse AC

et {quadre} om. e

simile AC | similes e | sil'es B f

matiana B | maciana AC e | maciaa f


Translation:

Policomos, according to Dyascorides has leaves similar to euzomon, which is in Latin eruca {"rocket"}, they are of pungent taste, and it has thick square stalks and flowers similar to ozimum {"basil"} and seeds similar to porrum {"leek"}. It has a root that is dark and round like a matiana apple {a certain apple variety}. It grows in rought places, etc.


Commentary:

Simon's entry is a near-verbatim quote from Dyascorides alphabeticus cf. Bodmer f 60av s.v. Policomas, which in turn is ultimately taken from Dioscorides Longobardus, 4, 169, ed. Stadler (1901: 85) De policomo.


Botanical identification:

Policomos is the Longobardic version of the Greek plant name πυκνόκομον /pyknókomon/, which Simon has already commented upon in his entry Pigniogomon, q.v. Perhaps Simon was not aware of the fact that Policomos and Pigniogomon were indeed the same plant-name, probably due to the confusing change of the Greek first element πυκνο- /pykno-/ {"densely" i.e. haired} to poli-, i.e. Greek πολύ- /polý-/, resulting in the otherwise unattested plant-name *πολύκομον /polýkomon/ {"much haired"}.


For more information see Pigniogomon.


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