Moly Plant-FOR Erasmus + project
collaborative dictionary of mythological plant
TARGET GROUP NUMBER: 10
Francesco Mosca
Aicha Chekroun Casas
Fragka Adami
Kingdom : Plantae
Subkingdom : Tracheobionta
Superdivision : Spermatophyta
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Liliopsida
Subclass : Liliidae
Order : Liliales
Family : Liliacae
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Allium moly, also known as golden garlic and lily leek, is a Mediterranean plant in the Amaryllis family.This plant is a perennial bulb, which is edible and also used as a medicinal and ornamental plant.
Allium moly is primarily found in Spain and Southern France with additional populations in Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Algeria, and Morocco.
PHYSICAL AND SCIENTIFIC DESCRIPTION
It is hardy to zone (UK) 7 and is not frost tender.It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, .
Mythologic part
Moly (Greek: μῶλυ) is a magical herb mentioned in book 10 of Homer's Odyssey.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus visited the witch-goddess Circe. She turned half of his men into swine after feeding them with cheese and wine. Hermes met Odysseus and gave him a drug called moly, a resistance to Circe’s magic. Circe, being attracted to Odysseus' resistance, fell in love with him. Circe released his men. Odysseus and his crew remained with her on the island for one year, while they feasted and drank. Finally, Odysseus men convinced Odysseus that it was time to leave for Ithaca.
In the book the lyrics say:
"As he spoke he pulled the herb out of the ground an showed me what it was like. The root was black, while the flower was as white as milk; the gods call it Moly, and mortal men cannot uproot it, but the gods can do whatever they like."