INTERPRETATION OF PLANT NAMES IN A LATE-MEDIEVAL MEDICAL TREATISE

The medical treatise written by Guilielmus of Saliceto around 1290 inc ludes 13 chapters on renal affections, in which 133 plant species are mentioned. Almost all have been identified by means of comparison with 15th century herbals and 16th century herbaria and books. 39 % are na tive to Italy and were presumably collected in the wild, 42 % are cult ivated plants, either native to the Mediterranean region or introduced since Roman times, 4 % were introduced to Italy from E. Europe or the Middle East in the late Middle Ages, and 15 % were imported from the east in the form of spices or drugs. Most of the plants mentioned by G uilielmus correspond entirely (56 %) or in part (8 %) with modern gene ra or species accepted with similar names or epithets in Linnaean nome nclature. 19 % of Guilielmus' designations denote modern species or ge nera but did not enter Linnean nomenclature. Only some 17 % of the Med ieval names are of uncertain application or designated heterogeneous t axa; their use, if it persists, has substantially changed since the 16 th century.