How did Pliny the Elder help scholars identify plants mentioned in Greek writings?

Pliny the Elder helped scholars identify plants mentioned in earlier Greek writings by recording their Latin synonyms within his encyclopaedic work, the Natural History.1

By documenting these linguistic equivalents, he provided a crucial bridge that allowed later readers to connect the botanical descriptions found in Greek texts with the plants known in the Roman world. This contribution was part of his broader effort in books XII through XIX to compile botanical knowledge, which included drawing upon the work of Theophrastus while also incorporating his own independent observations.12