DIKTAMNON

[Jan Bosselaers]

Dear Mary Barkworth,

> 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?

Diktamnon is a Lamiaceous plant, Origanum dictamnus L. It is endemic to
Crete and grows in the montane zone, flowering in May and June. All
kinds of positive health effects have been ascribed to it and it is sold
in dried form on Cretan markets as tea. The plant is commercially
cultivated at the SW edge of the Dikti massif for the purpose.

Regards,

Jan
--------------------------------------------------------------
Jan Bosselaers
"Dochterland", R. novarumlaan 2
B-2340 Beerse, Belgium                       tel 32-14-615896
home: dochterland at village.uunet.be           fax 32-14-610306
work: jbossela at janbe.jnj.com
web: http://gallery.uunet.be/Dochterland/
"The enemy of creativity is good taste" Pablo Picasso