Silphium facts for kids
Silphium was a plant that grew a very long time ago. People in ancient times, like the Romans and Greeks, used it for cooking and as a medicine. It was also called silphion, laserwort, or laser. This plant was so important that it was the main thing traded from the ancient city of Cyrene in North Africa. Many coins from Cyrene even showed pictures of the plant. The valuable part of the plant was its sticky sap, called laser, laserpicium, or lasarpicium.
Silphium was a very important species. The Egyptians and the Minoan civilization (who lived on the island of Knossos) even had a special symbol in their writing for the silphium plant. Many ancient cultures around the Mediterranean Sea used it. The Romans thought it was "worth its weight in silver coins." Some legends said it was a gift from the god Apollo.
The Mystery of Silphium
It is not clear exactly which plant species silphium was. Many people believe it was a plant from the Ferula group that is now extinct. This means it no longer exists anywhere on Earth. Another plant, Ferula tingitana, which still grows today, has been suggested as a possible match.
Another sticky sap from different Ferula plants, called asafoetida, was used as a cheaper replacement for silphium. Asafoetida can still be found and used today.
Images for kids
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A coin of Magas of Cyrene c. 300–282/75 BC. It shows silphium and small crab symbols.
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People weighing and loading silphium in Cyrene.
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A drawing of Heracleum sphondylium, showing its heart-shaped seed.
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An ancient silver coin from Cyrene showing a silphium seed or fruit.
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An Italian coat of arms with the golden silphium of Cyrenaica.
