- IDENTIFICATION OF PHYTOMORPHS IN THE VOYNICH CODEX 45
(a) (b)(c)Fig. 1.42. Allionia incarnata: (a) fol. 33r; (b) inflorescence and leaves ofA. incarnata
(Source: Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center); (c)
herbarium specimen ofA. incarnata(DES00067664) showing the swollen, knobby roots
(Source: Desert Botanical Garden Herbarium Collection, http://intermountainbiota.org/
portal/collections/individual/index.php?occid=2430103).
sagittate, green leaves, and swollen branched brown roots (Fig. 1.42a).
This matches the wide variability ofAllionia incarnataL. (Figs. 1.42b
and 1.42c), trailing four o’clock or trailing windmills, known in Span-
ish ashierba de la hormiga(ant herb) orhierba del golpe(wound herb).
This is native from Utah to Mexico. Curiously, the ends of the two main
roots in the phytomorph in the Voynich Codex have a face. The roots
ofAllionia incarnatado bear bumps with indentations that could be
interpreted as tiny faces.
X. Onagraceae
- Fol. 51r.Fuchsia thymifolia(Fig. 1.43).The phytomorph has four
red petals and four pale sepals backed by a corolla tube and a swollen
ovary; leaves are green, deeply serrate; roots are brown, tuberous
(Fig. 1.43a). This may beFuchsia thymifoliaKunth (Fig. 1.43b), native
from Mexico to Guatemala.