THE HISTORY OF RARE PLANTS

OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE PANNONIAS

BY CAROLUS CLUSIUS

BOOK ONE.

A decorative woodcut drop-cap letter Q features intricate Renaissance-style floral patterns and scrollwork within a square frame.

Just as in the first book of my Spanish observations I included trees and shrubs, I intend to follow the same order in these Pannonian observations, and to begin them similarly with an exotic and very rare tree. Clusius refers to his 1576 work on the plants of Spain. Pannonia was a Roman province covering parts of modern Hungary, Austria, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

ON THE CHERRY-LAUREL.

CHAPTER I.

As far as I know, the history of this tree has been set forth by no one; indeed, I believe it was not even known to the herbalists of our age. Since it is of that kind which remains green with perpetual foliage and is most elegant in appearance, it seems to deservedly claim the first place in these commentaries of ours.

History of the Cherry-Laurel.

The Cherry-Laurel is a tree of fair size (for so I choose to call it, and I will explain the reason for that name later), with a straight trunk provided with many branches, which are covered with a bark of blackish-green, though the new ones are entirely green. Leaves surround the branches alternately, not falling in winter, resembling the broad-leaved Laurel or rather the leaves of the Citron tree, somewhat toothed around the edges, with veins original: "mali Citriæ." This refers to the Citrus medica or citron tree, known for its large, thick-skinned fruit.