Hats Off to JKR the Word Wizard

[Goddlefrood]

No: HPFGUIDX 166537

Goddlefrood:

When you reach the end of this piece I hope wyou will 
appreciate that there was no other possible title. You may 
agree in my comnclusion that JKR's depth of research is 
phenominal. This should not in any way detract from some 
fan sites and HP info. boards, she did spend by her won 
account 15 years of her life researching into this series, 
and I, for one, can well believe it. Hardly a moment to 
spare. An incredible woman.

This all comes from research I undertook, as a matter of 
interest, on the plant "Dittany". It was consequential to

Dittany has been mentioned twice in the books and once in the
1st wombat test (where is the 3rd?). I hope to achieve a 
further outstanding ;)

Oh, and Steve van der Ark, if you're reading this you may 
care to use some of the information on the Lexicon, you have 
my full permission ;).

Those mentions first I think:

"Harry, who was looking up 'Dittany' in One Hundred Magical 
Herbs and Fungi, didn't look up until he heard Ron say, 
'Hagrid! What are you doing in the library?'"

p. 168 - Bloomsbury paperback edition (This has been amended 
in later editions to One Thousand Herbs and Fungi, before
you ask ;)). In "Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback" - Chapter
Fourteen.

"'You need the hospital wing, There may be a certain amount 
of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might
avoid even that ... come ...'

p. 489 - Bloomsbury hardback edition. In "Sectumsempra" -
Chapter Twenty Four.

"20. A Doxy bite can be healed most quickly and safely using 
    a. Bubotuber pus 
    b. Bundimun secretion 
    c. Dittany 
    d. Dr. Ubbly's Oblivious Unction 
    e. Murtlap essence 
    f. Reparo 
    g. Skele-Gro 
    h. Spellotape"

Extracted from the 1st Wombat test. The correct answer, or 
the nearest correct answer, is IMHO, Dittany.

Three little mentions, but what is it, you say, and why is 
it of any importnace? You will see, believe me. I have spent 
a little time stirring up the Pensieve this evening (pocket 
sized for ease of use ;))

Here is what the Lexicon has to say:

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/about/books/ps/rg-ps14.html

(Scroll down to it or use "edit" "find on this page")

You'll see this refers to it being found exclusively in 
Crete. Many apologies for what follows ;)

I'll take a standard definition as my starting point, 
source known to self, not prepared to say further:

"Eurasian perennial herb with white flowers that emit
flammable vapour in hot weather." It has also a variety
of other names, fraxinella, burning bush, gas plant, 
Dictamnus alba and not to forget Origanum dictamnus and
stone mint.

Oh, and the dittany of Crete is often used, as well as
Cunila origanoides (when it's stone mint). A little odd :|

Anyway, here are some definitions of some of those, and 
I appreciate many like these:

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/s/s0777800.html

(Stone Mint)

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/d/d0299400.html

(Dittany itself)

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/g/g0053600.html

(Gas Plant)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictamnus

(Whoops, I nearly forgot that one ;))

Not really, in fact, because it was this that led me
to the real dittany, in a rather roundabout manner.
Note in this it is also named as False Dittany and
White Dittany, for good measure presumably. A popular
plant indeed, to have so many names. I will get to
the meat shortly.

It is also named as Hop Marjoram and Dittany of 
Crete in this above link. 

This one is the Cretan variety referred to in the 
Lexicon entry. It is rather pretty. 

It is often prescient to dig, I find, and I did dig 
for this. Our Dittany is this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origanum_dictamnus

This one is defined:

Noun: Dictamnus
A dicotyledonous genus of the family Rutaceae
- genus Dictamnus

My namings are now complete, except for something
of interest to botanists. :) This one is not 
so pretty, but I can see where there might be 
confusion.

That in turn led me to a source, which again is 
difficult to track, but known to me, and probably 
some others (I do research as a large part of my 
profession, btw and have access to such things as
a consequence :)

>From Marjoram as a Spice in the Classical Era 
Alfred C. Andrews
Classical Philology, Vol. 56, No. 2 (Apr., 1961), 
pp. 73-82, and paraphrasing therein in turn, my
final definition:

"Cretan dittany or hop marjoram, Amaracus Dictamnus,
is also an indigene of Crete, but it has been 
reported on the mountains of the promontory of Poros."

Another name there, of course. Poros is interesting, 
at least I found it to be, you may too, the relevant 
page from a larger site:

http://www.poros.com.gr/history/?lang=en

Note in there that there is this (next to the
photograph of Poseidon's Temple):

"Such was the place's importance that it functioned 
as the center for the Amphictyonic League 
(amphictionnes: dwellers around") a voluntary 
"cooperative" of city-states in both civic and 
religious matters, which included Hermione, Epidauros, 
Aigina, Prassies, Athens and Orhomenos. At the 
Poseidon's Temple came Demosthenes the ancient great 
orator availing himself of its right of sanctuary as 
Philip the King of Macedonia chased him."

OK, so what relevance does this have with DH release
on the horizon and the continuing story. Maybe a 
little maybe a lot. "A Visit to the Graveyard" 
anyone ;).

Not actually, but it seems my divination skills may 
be not too bad ;).

Have a closer look. We have these little morsels:
Dictamnus alba (Not dissimilar to the late lamented),
Hermione mentioned in Poros history. Oh, and Philip
the King of Macedonia had a descendant called Philip
II, who in his turn was born in 382 B. C. Father of
Alexander the Great, if interested. Shares a birth
year with Antigonoua, one of his and the latter's
greatest generals.

The dittany may have the effect, due to all this, and 
this really is the rub now, of curing Harry's scar in
some way, probably by application.

All the best

That link for boanists:

http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Origanum.html

(See Origanum dictamnifolium St.-Lag.  ->  Origanum 
dictamnus L. for my reason to include this)

Goddlefrood, who commends Severus Snape on his knowledge
of the names for Wolfsbane, Monkshood and aconit, which 
is in part also known as helmeflower, aconitum lycoctonum
and aconitum napellus, probably amongst others, but more
than enough information :)

PS This came about as consequential to seeing if there
may indeed be two Figg women ;)