Pedanius Dioscorides
The generic name, derived from the Latin words "plumbum" ("lead") and "agere" ("to resemble"), was first used by Pliny the Elder (23-79) for a plant known as ("molybdaina") to Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40-90). This may have referred to its lead-blue flower colour, the ability of the sap to create lead-colored stains on skin, or Pliny's belief that the plant was a cure for lead poisoning.