13-04-2017, 04:56 PM
It's tax week, so I've been crazy busy, Marco, but here are some quick notes on identification...
Page 1 ...the one you have labeled as cabbage is probably Crambe maritima (kale, which is the leaf). Note the dots on the stem. That's what it looks like as the lower leaves are pruned off to use them as food, and the leaves and flowers are correct.
Page 3 top ... It's probably minionette (Cardamine resedifolia). It's drawn accurately (including the root) and the seeds look exactly like it is drawn—the yellow pods split open but the seeds are visible as black dots for a while before they fall to the ground. The size of the leaf is a bit exaggerated, but it's the correct shape. Notice that it's "branca leonina" not "branca leona/leonis". In other words, not lion's paw but cat's paw, which also would fit with minionette (I've noticed some of the old texts assume branca leonina is the same as lion's paw but from what I've seen, they are mistaken, herbals that include both show a different plant for lion's paw).
Page 5 ... This is not necessarily Viola. Most Viola species with round leaves are New World plants. Notice also the flowers do not look like Viola, the shape is completely different and they are very close to the ground. In Germany and parts of northern Italy in the 15th century, many different plants with small violet-colored flowers were called viola, so it's important to check the way the plant is drawn even if they are labeled 'viola".
I have much more information, but I have to run now, sorry, duty calls.
Page 1 ...the one you have labeled as cabbage is probably Crambe maritima (kale, which is the leaf). Note the dots on the stem. That's what it looks like as the lower leaves are pruned off to use them as food, and the leaves and flowers are correct.
Page 3 top ... It's probably minionette (Cardamine resedifolia). It's drawn accurately (including the root) and the seeds look exactly like it is drawn—the yellow pods split open but the seeds are visible as black dots for a while before they fall to the ground. The size of the leaf is a bit exaggerated, but it's the correct shape. Notice that it's "branca leonina" not "branca leona/leonis". In other words, not lion's paw but cat's paw, which also would fit with minionette (I've noticed some of the old texts assume branca leonina is the same as lion's paw but from what I've seen, they are mistaken, herbals that include both show a different plant for lion's paw).
Page 5 ... This is not necessarily Viola. Most Viola species with round leaves are New World plants. Notice also the flowers do not look like Viola, the shape is completely different and they are very close to the ground. In Germany and parts of northern Italy in the 15th century, many different plants with small violet-colored flowers were called viola, so it's important to check the way the plant is drawn even if they are labeled 'viola".
I have much more information, but I have to run now, sorry, duty calls.