Chap. 39.] THE TREE CALLED EOK. 203 



sembles the pear-tree in its leaves, which, however, are a little 

 longer and thicker, with wrinkled indentations running down 

 the whole length of the leaf. The seed of this tree resembles 

 barley in form and colour. The wood is hard and solid ; it is 

 said, that if it is introduced into a house, it is productive of 

 painful deliveries and of shocking deaths. 



CHAP. 38. (22.) THE ETJ0NY1I0S. 



There is no tree productive of a more auspicious presage 

 than one which grows in the Isle of Lesbos, and is known by 

 the name of euonymos. 1 It bears some resemblance to the 

 pomegranate tree, the leaf being in size between the leaf of 

 that and the leaf of the laurel, while in shape and softness it 

 resembles that of the pomegranate tree : it has a white blos- 

 som, 2 by which it immediately gives us notice of its dangerous 

 properties. 3 It bears a pod 4 very similar to that of sesame, 

 within which there is a grain of quadrangular shape, of coarse 

 make and poisonous to animals. The leaf, too, has the same 

 noxious effects ; sometimes, however, a speedy alvine discharge 

 is found to give relief on such occasions. 



CHAP. 39. THE TEEE CALLED EON. 



Alexander Cornelius has called a tree by the name of 

 " eon," 5 with the wood of which, he says, the ship Argo was 

 built. This tree has on it a mistletoe similar to that of the 

 oak, which is proof against all injury from either fire or water, 



1 Or the " luckily named." It grew on Mount Ordymnus in Lesbos. 

 See Theophrastus, B. ii. c. 31. 



2 The Evonymus Europaeus, or else the Evonymus latifolius of bota- 

 nists, is probably intended to be indicated ; but it is a mistake to say that 

 it is poisonous to animals. On the contrary, Fee says that sheep will 

 fatten on its leaves very speedily. 



3 " Statim pestem denuntians." Pliny appears to be in error here. 

 In copying from Theophrastus, he seems to have found the word (povoQ 

 used, really in reference to a blood-red juice which distils from the plant; 

 but as the same word also means slaughter, or death, he seems to have 

 thought that it really bears reference to the noxious qualities of the plant. 



4 Fee censures the use of the word " siliqua," as inappropriate, al- 

 though the seed does resemble that of sesamum, the Sesamum orientale 

 of Linnaeus. 



5 Or eonis. Fee suggests that in this story, which probably belongs 

 to the region of Fable, some kind of oak may possibly be alluded to. 



