The Voynich Botanical Plants

Folio 95r2. Ribwort (Plantago lanceolata) is a perennial European herb with long lance-shaped basal leaves that have 3-5 strong parallel veins. The flower stalks are often more than 2 feet long, terminating in blunt cylindrical spikes. During mediaeval times children used these flower spikes to play a game called kemps. The game involved striking one stalk head against another until one stalk broke. Kemps (cempa) was the Anglo-Saxon word for soldier. Ribwort is used in tisanes that is an effective cough remedy. (1) (C)