The Voynich Botanical Plants

Folio 93v, Lupin (Lupinus), we have used a Texas Bluebonnet as an example of a wild lupin. Lupins are found in the Mediterranean and Africa. Their leaves are usually palmate and the many-colored, pea-shaped flowers form open whorls at the end of an erect spike. The plant is symbiotic with nodule bacteria which fix nitrogen and are found in rhizoids associated with the plant root structure. The Romans cultivated lupins for food. Pliny observed: “No kind of fodder is more wholesome and light of digestion than the White Lupine, when eaten dry. If taken commonly at meals, it will contribute a fresh colour and a cheerful countenance.” (Grieve, M.,)