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Redshift2k5 t1_j6l4wu3 wrote

Reply to comment by AshFraxinusEps in ELI5: Why do so many fruits have seedless varieties but the apple and cherry do not? by JanaCinnamon

we don't know for sure the identity of the plant. good luck planting every seed from every archeological site in the Roman empire to see which is silphium

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AshFraxinusEps t1_j6moq6m wrote

> good luck planting every seed from every archeological site in the Roman empire to see which is silphium

This is more the problem. But could be worth it, bearing in mind how historically important it was. We may have modern equivalents, but I bet that the medicinal value in modern times would be quite high too tbh

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Redshift2k5 t1_j6n11p0 wrote

Just planting seeds isn't enough. If it was a hybrid they often don't have viable offspring or the offspring are different from parent hybrid plants.

The last stalk of silphium was given to empower Nero. They knew exactly what the plant was and they knew when it was no longer being cultivated.

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