A professor recently rediscovered a 'miracle plant' the Ancient Greeks used many believed to have gone extinct over two thousand years ago.
A professor has rediscovered a miracle plant previously used by the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans. The plant, which was expected to have gone extinct over two thousand years ago was known as silphion by the ancient Greeks. The professor discovered what he believes to be a botanical survivor, which could open new doors to medicines we haven’t seen in two millennia.
This miracle plant was so highly thought of, that many believe Julius Ceasar stockpiled thousands of pounds of the plant alongside Rome’s gold stockpiles, with the saplings of the plant valued at the same price as silver. According to, the last known documentation of silphion was made by Pliny the Elder during the first century A.D.
The miracle plant may have looked similar to this giant fennen known as Ferula communis. Image source: scimmery1 / Adobe
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