plant
Alder
Alder as a plant people have named and used. Water wood, red sap, marsh timber — one living kind, not a single symbol.
Alder is historically related to Oak.
In Cutbush's A System of Pyrotechny, Alder sits with Oak in woodwork speech — named together on the working page.
from James Cutbush · A System of Pyrotechny, 1825 (Gutenberg #49028; PD in the USA)
historically related to · sourced · documented
Alder is used in Wormwood.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, black alder bark is boiled with wormwood, hops, and fennel among other opening herbs — wormwood shares the morning draught against jaundice and dropsy.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
used in · sourced · documented
Alder is used in Hops.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, black alder bark is boiled with hops in the same jaundice draught as wormwood and fennel — hops sit in the alder bark decoction.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
used in · sourced · documented
In Vitruvius Ten Books on Architecture, soft marsh ground is set with piles of charred alder and the intervals filled in with charcoal before the foundations are laid.
from Vitruvius; Morris Hicky Morgan (translation) · De Architectura, 1st century BCE; Morgan English 1914
how · sourced · documented
Alder is historically related to Olive.
In Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture, soft marsh bottoms are set with piles of charred alder or olive wood before the intervals are filled with charcoal.
from Vitruvius; Morris Hicky Morgan (translation) · De Architectura, 1st century BCE; Morgan English 1914
historically related to · sourced · documented
Alder is historically related to Pine.
In Vitruvius’s Ten Books on Architecture, siege-machine boardings prefer holm oak or other strong woods, except pine or alder, which are weak and easily catch fire under ballistae and flame.
from Vitruvius; Morris Hicky Morgan (translation) · De Architectura, 1st century BCE; Morgan English 1914
historically related to · sourced · documented
sources
- A System of Pyrotechny · James Cutbush
James Cutbush, A System of Pyrotechny (1825).
- The English Physician · Nicholas Culpeper
Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician (Complete Herbal).
- De Architectura · Vitruvius; Morris Hicky Morgan (translation)
Vitruvius, The Ten Books on Architecture, trans. Morris Hicky Morgan (1914).