Herbs in History: Borage & Carrot

• By: AHPA
• On: 09/25/2024 07:18:54
• In: AHPA News

September 25, 2024

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In an effort to preserve and share the fascinating histories of medicinal plants and herbs that have been used around the world for ages, the AHPA Foundation for Education and Research on Botanicals (AHPA-ERB Foundation) is honored to partner with Alain Touwaide, Ph.D., and Emanuela Appetiti of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions to launch the Herbs in History project in 2022.

The second year of the series concludes with a look at the histories of borage and carrot. Preview the entries below and visit Herbs in History online to read more.

Borage (Borago officinalis L.)

Cheerfulness?

If we have to believe literature, borage (Borago officinalis L.) (Boraginaceae) was considered as a euphoric agent in the early centuries of the Greek World. Homer, the blind itinerant poet and the author of the Iliad and possibly also of the Odyssey, allegedly mentioned its property to provoke forgetfulness when taken with wine. Thanks to this property, it has been thought to be the famous nepenthes that the Queen of Egypt offered to poor Greek Helen on her sailing back from Troy to Greece after the long and painful war that opposed the Greeks and the Trojans, to relief her mourning and sufferance. Looking closer to the sources, however, we discover quite a different history. | Read more...

Carrot (Daucus carota L.)

Deeper History?

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) (Apiaceae [formerly Umbelliferae]) is part of our daily life from childhood and is a daily staple. Until not so long ago, it was believed to have only a relatively recent history (Banga 1957: 59): Contrary to most writers on the same subject, it is concluded that there is no evidence that our type of cultivated carrot (Daucus carota s.sp. sativa) was known to the Romans, or to the Europeans at the time of Charlemagne (± 800 A.D.) or before. | Read more...

About the Project

Herbs in History is made possible by funding from the AHPA-ERB Foundation, as part of the nonprofit foundation's mission promote education and research on medicinal, therapeutic, and health-promoting herbs. Tune in monthly for thoughtfully detailed historical accounts of herbs you know and love, and learn more about the origins of medicinal plants that have stood the test of time.