Appendix to the Books on Plants and Peripatetic Questions

We can also consider the leaves of this tree to be Betel original: "Betellas"; the leaf of the Piper betle plant, commonly chewed in South Asia, which the Indians chew for the sake of pleasure. Formerly, however, they were brought to us as "Indian Leaf," that is, Malabathrum original: "Malabatro"; an aromatic leaf from the Cinnamomum tamala tree used in ancient perfumes, and not without reason. For there are three nerves running through them, as is clear from the aforementioned description: the taste and smell resemble Cinnamon. Furthermore, the name Malabathrum confirms this, coming from the region of Malabar, where the best variety on the continent originates.

Moreover, the fruit of the Cinnamon tree seems to be of the same genus as the Clove original: "Gariophyllo". For the Clove, before it reaches perfection, is oblong with an angular head, like the fruit of the Myrtle, and it sits upon small stalks in the manner of an umbrella. When it is truly perfect, it bears an oblong black berry, stuffed with black and very hard seeds within the husk. Hippocrates seems to have mentioned this in Book 2 of On the Diseases of Women, where he calls it "the Indian thing": which the Persians call Pepper; a round thing is contained within it called Myrthidanum. And Pliny says there is something in India similar to a grain of Pepper, but larger and more fragile, which is called Gariophyllon Clove; they say it grows in the forests of India and is brought here for the sake of its scent. The same Hippocrates says in Book 1 of On the Diseases of Women:

That some grains of Pepper are very large, and some are small. He also made mention of the fruit of Cassia. Among these fruits, one must think there was that called Carpesium an aromatic wood or seed, often identified with Valerian or a type of Cinnamon and Amomum an aromatic spice related to Cardamom, and perhaps also Cardamom. For the stalks were gathered in handfuls along with the fruit, as is done with the Clove today. And rightly did Quintus a Roman physician and teacher of Galen use it in place of Cinnamon, as Galen testifies. Today, however, the other parts having been rejected as less marketable, the leaves of the Clove are brought with their own stalks.

The names, however, were transferred to other plants after they ceased to be exported from India. Therefore, one will not err if, in place of Amomum, he takes not the so-called Cubebs original: "Cubebas"; a species of pepper, but Cloves. In place of Carpesium, he may take the stalks of the same; for Cardamom, the perfected fruits of the same. Nevertheless, those things which are brought under the name of "Greater" and "Lesser" Cardamom are not to be rejected.