- IDENTIFICATION OF PHYTOMORPHS IN THE VOYNICH CODEX 11
(a) (b)Fig. 1.5. Gonolobus chloranthus: (a) fol. 100r #14; (b)G. chloranthusfruit (Courtesy of
Guadalupe Cornejo-Tenorio and Guillermo Ibarra-Manr ́ıquez, The Field Museum).
F. Araceae
- Fol. 100r #2.Philodendron mexicanum(Fig. 1.6).Phytomorph #2
on fol. 100r (Fig. 1.6a), appears to be a vining aroid with hastate
leaves, ripped from a tree, most probablyPhilodendron mexicanum
Engl. (Figs. 1.6b and 1.6c) known ashuacalazochitlin Nahuatl (Zepeda
and White 2008). This is known ashuacalxochitl/huacalxochitl ̄ (huacal
flower) in the Codex Cruz-Badianus (Emmart 1940; Cruz and Badiano
1991; Gates 2000; Alcantara Rojas 2008; Clayton et al. 2009) or ́ huacala-
zochitl(Zepeda and White 2008). Bown (1988) writes of the Araceae
in general: “Most of the species of Araceae which are used internally
for bronchial problems contain saponins, soap-like glycosides which
increase the permeability of membranes to assist in the absorption of
minerals but also irritate the mucous membranes and make it more
effective to cough up phlegm and other unwanted substances in the
lungs and bronchial passages.” - Fol. 100r #7.Philodendronsp. (Fig. 1.7).Phytomorph #7 on fol.
100r (Fig. 1.7a) appears to be the leaf or stem of an aroid, most prob-
ably a species ofPhilodendron, but the crudeness of the drawing belies
whether this is a stem or compound leaf. If the latter, it may be a crude
representation of the pedately compound leaf of the Mexican species
Philodendron goeldiiG. M. Barroso (Fig. 1.7b).