Plants of life, plants of death / Frederick J. Simoons

Object Details

Contents: Introduction -- Tulsi, holy basil of the Hindus : with notes on sweet basil in the Mediterranean world -- Sacred fig-trees of India -- Mandrake, a root human in form : with notes on ginseng -- A question of odor? : garlic and its relatives as impure foods in the area from Europe to China -- Ritual use and avoidance of the urd bean (Vigna mungo) in India : with comparative data on certain related foods, flavorings and beverages -- The color black in the Pythagorean ban of the fava bean (Vicia faba) -- Favism and the origin of the Pythagorean ban on fava beans -- Pythagoras lives : parallels and survivals of his views of beans in modern and premodern times -- Further notes, elaborations, and conclusions

1998

C1998

Smithsonian Libraries

Topic: Plants; Medicinal plants--Folklore; Plants--Mythology; Human-plant relationships