According to Gray's Manual of Botany, its botanical name was "...said to have belonged to some plant growing in the Syrian river Orontes." The river is known as Nahr Al-‘Āsī in Arabic and Asi Nehri in Turkish. The banks of the Orontes have seen the rise and fall of many cities since the days of the Persian king, Darius.

The river had its own god, also known as Orontes. The legend is lost; the only remaining knowledge of this god is on the reverse of a few ancient silver tetradrachms showing the goddess Antiochia/Tekhe with her right foot upon the shoulder of Orontes. Antiochia/Tekhe, the goddess of fortune, chance, and luck, was the patroness of the city of Antioch.

Golden clubs are obligate wetland species generally found in still or slow-moving water. The plants have dark bluish-green leaves that appear velvety. The appearance is due to the cuticle, a waxy coating which keeps the leaves from wetting and probably prevents fungal and bacterial infections. This coating gave rise to another common name, never-wet, water beads and rolls off the surface.

Ancient Coin Forum has photographs of Roman tetradrachms depicting the legend of Antiochia and Orontes. Unfortunately, we know nothing of the legend. To view the coins, click on the link:

http://ancient-coin-forum.com/Roman/Augustus_sold.html

The coins are numbers 608 and 33. The listing is not in numerical order; the coins are shown slightly more than halfway down the page.

Dr. Thomas H. Wilson of Judson College has an excellent photo-essay on a large population of golden club in Alabama. To learn more about these beautiful plants and the study conducted by his students, click on the link:

http://home.judson.edu/academic/spinner/goldenclub/goldenclub.html