The plant’s exact identity is unknown to this day, since it went extinct in Roman times. It was a major cash crop of Cyrene, Libya, and even depicted on coins. It was used as seasoning, perfume, aphrodisiac, contraceptive and abortifacient. The last specimen was supposedly given to Emperor Nero.
Supposedly, it isn’t extinct. There has been word that the plant was found growing somewhere, Turkey maybe? I’ll go look after I hit send on this, but it matches all the descriptions.
Edit: yup! Turkey
The Greys knew we would abuse it, so they limited our access.
The word “panacea” is so cool.
diacatholicon and panpharmacon are synonyms for panacea. Also cool words and very rarely used. Most people will never have heard of them.
contraceptive and abortifacient.
The main reason it went extinct…
And what it was actually effective at. But the best way to convince a male dominated society that was important to make accessible was to convince them it made women horny.
When it just freed them of potentially serious consequences, like, a shit ton of women died a n childbirth until very recently. A one night stand could leave a women dead or shunned from her family with no source of income and a baby.
Reliable birth control would have been an absolute game changer.
It was used for way more than Contraceptive. It was an ingredient in food and to heal all sorts of illnesses. Culturally it was very significant.
Pliny the wise documented it pretty well if you are curious
