Radiolum

Radiolum quidam polipodium vocant liber antiquus de simplici medicina.

Apparatus:

Radiolum (-lũ e) B ef Herbarius Apulei | Radiosum (-suʒ A) AC {'l' misread as "long s"}

vocant C e | vocãt (uo- B) AB | d^t f

Translation:

Radiolum is what some people call polipodium according to an ancient book named de simplici medicina {"On simple medicine"}.

Commentary:

In his preface Simon mentions two different libri antiqui de simplicibus medicinis - "ancient books on simple medicines", i.e. not compound medicines. Here one of these is most likely Ps. Apuleius, the Herbarius Apulei, because there, 84, ed. Howald (1927: 151) [[1]], a 'radiolum' is mentioned. HERBA RADIOLUM, the only witness for this word as a synonym for "fern", and where it further says: Alii filicinam dicunt, "Others call it filicina" and in some manuscripts it continues: Graeci polipodium vocant "the Greeks call it polipodium".

Radiolum is the diminutive of radius "staff, rod; beam, ray".

Filicina < filica = filix "fern, bracken".

For further information see Polipodium, Filichinum.

See also: Besfagum, Bisbeigi

WilfGunther 21/01/14

Next entry