Hello, I'm conducting research on early medieval illustrated plants, specifically flowers. Can anyone identify these flowers/plants? (Assuming that the anatomy and colors are relatively true to life - eg. red could be a dark purple, etc). The illustrations are from the north-east of England, c.700. Arguably illustrated on an island on the east coast near dunes and/or rocky environments. Also, consider the orientation of the illustration. Many thanks!
Sorry, they're far too stylised to be identifiable. Where are the pics from? Lindisfarne gospels? I was where they were made yesterday ;-)
Yes, the Lindisfarne Gospels. Indeed they are stylized but not to the extent of being completely unrecognizable in my opinion. Perhaps a species of orchids?
None of the orchids native here has large individual flowers - I'd doubt that the illustrators would take the need to magnify the flower spike and separate out the individual flowers. Here's a typical species common on Holy Island (this pic isn't taken there, though), Dactylorhiza fuchsii:
Unfortunately, it doesn't occur on Holy Island (or anywhere in Northumberland). The Epipactis species here (E. sancta, E. palustris) have greenish-white flowers.
Okay great, that's definitely what I'm looking for - Native species. Although, both Epipactis atrorubens and Epipactis sancta are native to the east coast (sancta is only found on Holy Island). What do you think of this comparison? I understand that it isn't a mirror image or a realistic drawing but nothing really was in the early medieval period. I'm just curious to see if there are any other flowers that would be better comparative examples to the illustrations? many thanks! Oh I see, atrorubens not native anywhere in Northumbria? I have sources that say they do.. Just a quick google (not sure how reputable this site is but here it is - bottom of the paragraphs) http://www.first-nature.com/flowers/epipactis_atrorubens.php
Just a quick google (not sure how reputable this site is but here it is - bottom of the paragraphs) http://www.first-nature.com/flowers/epipactis_atrorubens.php Okay great! They look like potential specimens, definitely. Thank you.
It's not in the Flora of Northumberland. It does occur in Co. Durham, which was of course part of the old Kingdom of Northumbria, but still distant (3 or 4 days' travel by horse, I'd guess) from Holy Island. Check out Comarum palustre (syn. Potentilla palustris) and Geranium sanguineum as possibles for that pic.
Yes, but Aquilegia isn't native in northeast England, so the monks are highly unlikely to have had any access to specimens of it.
