A botanical plate from Hortus Eystettensis (1613), one of the most important Florilegia of the early modern period, published by Basilius Besler.

Scientific Name: Dracontium Maius
Identification: Dracunculus Vulgaris, Dragon Arum
Family: Araceae

Properties: Associated with poison, transformation, and the boundary between beauty and decay, Dracontium was regarded as both alluring and unsettling. Its dramatic form and potent odor marked it as a plant of liminal character, admired for its rarity while approached with caution. In early Cabinets de Curiosités, it symbolized the wonder and danger inherent in the natural world, embodying nature’s capacity to entice, repel, and transform. The Dragon Arum stood as a reminder that botanical beauty often concealed volatile forces, reinforcing the era’s reverence for plants that defied simple classification between medicine, menace, and marvel.