Hi!
This was a contribution to the
German Forum. But I want to share it here too.
Last year I have undertaken several wanderings in our vicinity and especially looked at the waysides. I have made photos of all which aroused nmy interest. And I was attracted by wild plants. Some of them with relations to coins I want to post here.
(1)
Field Penny-Cress (Thlaspi arvense)
According to its small pots in the shape of pennies. In
German it is called "Heller-Kraut". "
Heller" was an former Austrian coinage. Often it can be found at the
border of turnips or cabbage
field.
(2) Creeping Loosestrife (
Lysimachia nummularia)
Called also "Twopenny grass". This name and "nummularia", the name of the species, after the shape of the leaves. The name of the genus "
Lysimachia" - regarding to Plinius - is believed to refer to the ancient commander
Lysimachos, who was committed Diadoch by
Alexander the Great. Acoording to a
legend Lysimachos was the first who have this
plant genus. Probably this is not true. "
Lysimachos" means Greek "settling a strife", which is mirrored in the English name too. Certainly a strange name!
(3) Common Centaury (Centaurium erythraea)
This herb, related to crocus, is an old medical
plant. And the Centaurs were known for their healing arts. The most famous of them, Cheiron, is said once to be healed by this herb. And to that
mythology the botanic name is pointing.
The
German name is "Tausendgüldenkraut = Thousand golden herb", a misinterpretation of the botanic name. In the 15th cetury the Latin name was translated to "Hundertgüldenkraut = Hundred golden herb" (
Lat. centum = hundred,
aureus = golden). In the vernicular this was not enough: Hundred was increased to Thousand! Found at a forest path near Königsfeld/Schwarzwald
(4) Perannial Honesty (Lunaria rediviva)
Vernicular it is called too "Judas Pfennig" and reminds of the
30 pieces of silver of Judas. But we as numismatists does know that these were probably shekels from Tyre. The species I have found has longish pods. The round pods of the Annual Honesty (Lunaria annua) match the pieces of silver better.
Only 1x found in the valley of the small river Schlichem coming down from the Suevian
Alb.
At last a small mushroom, which will be unknown for most of us. It is not
rare but because of its smallness often overlooked. He is hardly more than 5mm high.
(5) White-Egg Bird's Nest (Cyathus crucibulum)
German it is called "Tiegel-Teuerling = Little
Pan Expensive". It is a small
cup in which like little coins the peridiols are lying, which are the
bulk of spores. From the number of peridiols the superstitious people in previous times has predicted inflation or harvest. In times of famine there should be found proportionate few peridiols in the
cup.
Best regards
