Silphium, 1st victim of climate change

Julius Caesar’s favorite herb (which, btw, was an aphrodisiac) might have been the first victim of man-made climate change.

Romans loved silphium so much that they used it as perfume, medicine, and put it on almost every dish. It was also quite important to iconic Roman general Julius Caesar who stashed more than half a ton in his treasury. 

However, the herb became extinct less than a century later in what scientists think could be the first evidence of plants disappearing due to man-made climate change, writes The Guardian. 

Silphium might have gone extinct due to a mix of over-harvesting and over-grazing, University of New Hampshire’s Paul Pollaro said, commenting on his research done alongside Paul Robertson. 

Even after the Romans realized their production was decreasing, it was too late to salvage the herb crops as they had already changed the microclimate, he added.