The Voynich Botanical Plants

Folio 27v. Clove (Syzyglum aromaticum). Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia. The flower buds from this tree are used as a spice; Oil of cloves is used in some toothpastes, laxative pills and as a local anesthetic. In the 3rd century BC, a Chinese leader required visitors to chew cloves to freshen their breath. In the Middle Ages, Muslim sailors traded cloves. Ibu Battuta (1304 1368) a Moroccan explorer who visited Eastern Europe, mentions the clove trade and Sinbad the Sailor is known to have bought and sold cloves. (1) (B)