110 PLINY'S NATUEAL HISTOllT. [Book XII. 



the bulwark which the tree thus throws around ; a most 

 graceful sight, whether we stand beneath and look upwards, 

 or whether we view its arcaded foliage from a distance. The 

 higher branches, however, shoot upwards to a very consider- 

 able height, and, by their number, form quite a grove, spring- 

 ing aloft from the vast trunk of the parent tree, which 

 overspreads, very frequently, a space of sixty paces in extent, 

 while the shade that is thrown by it will cover as much as 

 a couple of stadia. The broad leaves of the tree have just the 

 shape of an Amazonian buckler; and hence it is that the 

 fruit, from being quite covered by the leaves, is greatly impeded 

 in its growth. The fruit, indeed, of this tree is but scanty, 

 and never exceeds a bean in size ; being ripened, however, by 

 the rays of the sun, as these penetrate the leaves, the figs are 

 remarkable for their singular lusciousness, and are quite worthy 

 of the marvellous tree by which they are produced. These 

 fig-trees are found, more particularly, in the vicinity of the 

 river Acesines. 39 



CHAP. 12. (6.) — the pala: the petjit called aeiena. 



There is another tree 40 in India, of still larger size, and 

 even more remarkable for the size and sweetness of its fruit, 

 upon which the sages 41 of India- live. The leaf of this tree 

 resembles, in shape, the wing of a bird, being three cubits in 

 length, and two in breadth. It puts forth its fruit from the 

 bark, a fruit remarkable for the sweetness of its juice, a single 

 one containing sufficient to satisfy four persons. The name of 

 this tree is "pala," and of the fruit, " ariena." They are found in 

 the greatest abundance in the country of the Sydraci, 42 a terri- 

 tory which forms the extreme limit of the expedition of Alex- 

 ander. 



There is another 43 tree, also, very similar to this, but bearing 

 a still sweeter fruit, though very apt to cause derangement of 



39 See B. vi. c. 23. 



40 Sprengel and Bauhin are of opinion that the banana is the tree meant 

 here ; Dodonaeus thinks that it is the pomegranate. Thevet says that the 

 pala is the paquovera of India, the fruit of which is called pacona. The 

 account is borrowed from Tbeophrastus. 



41 The Gymnosophists, or Brahmins. 



42 Called Syndraci in B. vi. c. 25, 



43 It is not improbable that the Tamavindus Indica of Linnaeus is the 

 tree here alluded to : though M. Fee combats that opinion. 



