Spigo Nardo: From the Este Herbarium a Possible Solution for Its Taxonomical Attribution

The document from 2018 investigates the true identity of "spigo nardo," a historically significant aromatic plant. Through examination of the Este Herbarium and other Renaissance Italian herbaria, as well as literary and medical-pharmaceutical sources, researchers concluded that "spigo nardo" is Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC. from the Valerianaceae family, native to the Himalayas. The study involved morphological comparisons and historical document reviews, which revealed that the plant was historically imported to Europe and used in Ayurveda medicine and cosmetics. The identification was initially confused with Andropogon nardus L. due to the lack of complete plant descriptions in Europe until the late eighteenth century. N. jatamansi has been used since ancient times for its medicinal properties, including promoting hair growth, but is now critically endangered due to overexploitation. The research contributes to the botanical history of N. jatamansi in Europe, although the authors note that their conclusions are based on a combination of evidence and are not definitive.