plant
Willow
Willow as a plant people have named and used. Water grief, flexible rod, soft hang — one living kind, not a single symbol.
Willow is used in Medicine.
Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica lists willow (itea) leaves and bark among astringent and cooling drugs. A named willow in that handbook, not a basket-withe dump alone and not a modern aspirin origin-story dump.
from Pedanius Dioscorides · De Materia Medica, 1st century CE
used in · sourced · documented
In Vitruvius Ten Books on Architecture, the water-screw withe is a slender willow smeared with liquid pitch and fastened at the first intersection before winding the screw.
from Vitruvius; Morris Hicky Morgan (translation) · De Architectura, 1st century BCE; Morgan English 1914
how · sourced · documented
Basket is historically related to Willow.
Pliny’s Natural History treats willow among plants whose withies are woven into baskets. A named basket beside willow, not winnowing-basket as one farm tool alone.
from Pliny the Elder · Natural History, c. 77 CE
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Myrtle is historically related to Willow.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, a hernia plaster boils myrtle berries with willow leaves, comfrey roots, and ash bark in red wine and smith’s water — myrtle is boiled with that willow.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
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Comfrey is historically related to Willow.
In Culpeper’s English Physician, emplastrum catagmaticum boils comfrey roots with willow leaves, myrtle berries, and ash bark in red wine and smith’s water — comfrey is boiled with that willow.
from Nicholas Culpeper · The English Physician, 1652 (and later PD editions)
historically related to · sourced · documented
Roman religion
Osier Bed is used in Willow.
Columella’s De Re Rustica seats planted beds of withy willows cut for vine props, ties, and baskets among estate willow craft. A named osier-bed in that willow work, not willow-holt as the broader willow ground filed beside it and not a hop-garden refused.
from Columella · De Re Rustica, 1st century CE
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Willow Holt is used in Willow.
Columella’s De Re Rustica seats damp willow grounds grown for poles, withes, and shade among estate tree husbandry. A named willow-holt in that willow work under English holt lemma, not osier-bed as the cutting bed already walked here and not water-meadow as English floating-meadow chrome refused.
from Columella · De Re Rustica, 1st century CE
used in · sourced · documented
sources
- De Materia Medica · Pedanius Dioscorides
Dioscorides, De Materia Medica.
- De Architectura · Vitruvius; Morris Hicky Morgan (translation)
Vitruvius, The Ten Books on Architecture, trans. Morris Hicky Morgan (1914).
- De Re Rustica · Columella
Columella, De Re Rustica (On Agriculture).
- Natural History · Pliny the Elder
Pliny, Naturalis Historia.
- The English Physician · Nicholas Culpeper
Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician (Complete Herbal).