Turkish Researcher Found 'Miracle' Plant in Anatolia Believed To Be Extinct 2,000 Years Ago

A legendary Greek plant, "Silphium," once popularly known as the "miracle" plant in the ancient Greek empire, has apparently made a comeback. The plant was consumed by Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians at the height of its popularity. However, for some reason, it disappeared from the face of the Earth after the first century A.D. Researchers have scoured several historical records, but have found no mention of the plant after the first century A.D. However, a researcher at Istanbul University in Türkiye, Mahmut Miski, is now claiming that "Ferula Drudeana" could be the elusive plant. He recorded his insights in the journal Plants. 

Legacy of Silphium

Before Miski's claims, researchers believed that silphium had gone extinct two thousand years ago, according to The Greek Reporter. The golden-flowered plant was extremely sought after in its heyday throughout the Mediterranean. It was described as having yellow flowers with thick stalks. These stalks were processed in a variety of ways, such as crushing and roasting, and turned into edibles, medicines, and contraceptives. During the reign of Julius Caesar, around a thousand pounds of this plant were stockpiled and kept close to Rome's imperial treasures. They were sold at the same rate as silver. 

For seven centuries, it reigned in the hearts of the Mediterranean civilians before vanishing from the records. It was last documented by Roman chronicler Pliny the Elder in his "Natural History," where he claimed that one stalk of the plant had been given to Emperor Nero in the first century A.D. Several experts believe that overharvesting drove the plant to extinction, according to Down To Earth. Silphium's legacy is a stark reminder of how human activities have destroyed several medicinal plants over centuries. However, many ancient medicinal plants have now been lost to history; silphium may make a comeback. 

Rediscovery of Silphium

Miski shared that he found Ferula Drudeana, similar to silphium in appearance, at around three locations in Anatolia, modern-day Türkiye. Though not fully sure about the identity, he claimed it is "a good candidate for being the long-lost plant of the Greeks and Romans," according to National Geographic. The researcher claimed that he detected the plant with the help of local villagers and saw it growing in protected enclaves. The first hint that Ferula Drudeana could be silphium came from the arrangement of its leaves. 

Researchers have analyzed several depictions of silphium on ancient coins, where the leaves were placed opposite each other. No other species of Ferula, except Ferula Drudeana, has leaves arranged in such a manner. This similarity, along with others, encouraged Miski to conduct further examinations. Anatolia is thousands of miles away from Egypt, where silphium originated, but the spots where Ferula Drudeana has been found were once inhabited by Egyptians. Hence, there is a possibility that they brought silphium to the location and harvested it.

Further Examinations

Further investigation revealed that Ferula drudeana had medicinal properties associated with silphium. Past studies have shown that people used silphium to treat conditions, such as sciatica (nerve pain), tetanus, goiter, hormonal disorders, toothache, malignant tumors, epilepsy, intestinal disorders, and polyps. It implies that it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. These properties were detected in Ferula Drudeana. The anatomical similarities as well as medicinal properties made researchers speculate that Ferula Drudeana could be the elusive silphium. 

However, to conclude this assertion, they need to conduct DNA testing of the two plants. The catch is that there is no ancient specimen available of silphium. However, researchers are not disappointed, as they think shipwrecks could have some of the 'miracle' plant they are searching for. "There may be waterlogged remains of ancient silphion on the Mediterranean seafloor, which could provide direct evidence of the nature of this elusive plant," the paper read.