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Euphorbia resinifera portrayed in a manuscript herbal nearly fifteen hundred years ago

2001; Volume: 19; Issue: 19 Linguagem: Inglês

10.25223/brad.n19.2001.a3

0265-086X

Pjotr Lawant, Diny Winthagen,

Bioactive Natural Diterpenoids Research

The earliest illustration of a succulent Euphorbia is presented, dating from nearly 1500 years ago. This has been identified as Euphorbia resinifera Berg from NW Morocco. The picture is found in an illustrated manuscript herbal, a codex made of parchment, dating from the very beginning of the 7th century (dated about 600 AD). This codex, usually called the Codex Neapolitanus, has been preserved as a unique copy in the Biblioteca Nazionale, Naples. Notes are also provided on the publication of the name E. resinifera, its habitat, distribution, cultivation, and medicinal uses, together with a short description and biography in honour of the discoverer of the species, King Juba II.