DIKTAMNON

[Wolfgang J. Neun]

Mary,

I don't know the story of Aristotle and the goats but in the bible
Dictamnus albus L. of the family Rutaceae is mentioned as the burning
bush. They say that on a hot and sunny day the air above the plant may
contain so high a concentration of essential oils that you can ignite
it. I don't know whether this is a myth because when I met the species
I had no lighter with me (it's growing here in the surroundings, too).

Cheers,
Wolfgang


Wolfgang J. Neun, Diplom-Biologe
Hessenstrasse 66
D-97078 Wuerzburg, Germany
phone: +49 931 285527
email: W.Neun at online.de


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Mary Barkworth <mary at BIOLOGY.USU.EDU>
An: TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
Datum: Mittwoch, 7. Juli 1999 17:41
Betreff: DIKTAMNON


>I have been asked whether I can help find out what species Diktamnon
refers
>to.  It grows in Crete and apparently Aristotle said that goats look
for it
>when shot with an arrow as it helps them recover.  I have no further
>information and the future of the world does not depend on the
answer.
>But, I am curious.  Can anyone help?
>Mary Barkworth, Intermountain Herbarium
>Department of Biology, Utah State University,
>Logan, Utah 84322-5305
>Voice: 435-797-1584 FAX: 435-797-1575
>Http://www.biology.usu.edu/herbarium/