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Madwort: Alyssum



The Greeks and Romans regarded alyssum (or some other plant whose name is
now lost) as having the ability to cure the bite from a mad dog (rabies).
Hence the name "alyssum" means "a" (not) - "lyssa" (mad).  In England
there were various old spellings of the name, including alisson. Gerard in
his "Herbal" said that alyssum is a "present remedie for them that are
bitten of a mad dog."

The plant was also called heal-dog and moonewort.  John Parkinson
assigned the name heal wort to "Alyssum montanum Column<ae>, or the
Mountaine madwort of Column." Linnaeus followed with the same name.

Bobby Ward, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, USDA Zone 7.
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