204 PLINY' S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XIII. 



in the same manner, in fact, as that of no other tree known. 

 This tree, however, appears to have been known to no other 

 author, that I am aware of. 



CHAP. 40. THE ANDRACHLE. 6 



Nearly all the Greek writers interpret the name of the tree 

 called " andrachle," as meaning the same as " purslain : " 7 

 whereas purslain is, in reality, a herb, and, with the difference 

 of a single letter, is called " andrachne." The andrachle is a 

 wild tree, which never grows in the plain country, and is simi- 

 lar to the arbute tree in appearance, only that its leaves are 

 smaller, and never fall off. The bark, too, is not rough, but 

 might be taken. to be frozen all over, so truly wretched is its 

 appearance. 



CHAP. 41. — THE COCCYGIA ; THE APHARCE. 



Similar, too, in leaf to the preceding tree, is the coccygia, 3 

 though not so large ; it has this peculiarity, that it loses its 

 fruit while still in the downy 9 state — they then call it 

 " pappus " — a thing that happens to no other tree. The 

 apharce 10 is another tree that is similar to the andrachle, and 

 like it, bears twice in the year : just as the grape is beginning 

 to flower the first fruit is ripening, while the second fruit 

 ripens at the commencement of winter; of what nature this 

 fruit is we do not find stated. 



CHAP. 42. THE FERULA. 



We ought to place the ferula 11 also in the number of the 

 exotics, and as making one of the trees. For, in fact, we dis- 

 tinguish the trees into several different kinds : it is the nature 

 of some to have wood entirely in place of bark, or, in other 



6 In the former editions, "adrachne" — the Arbutus integrifolia, Fee 

 says, and not the Arbutus andrachne of Linnaeus, as Sprengel thinks. 



7 " Porcillaca." The Portulaca oleracea of Linnaeus. 



8 The Rhus cotinus of Linnaeus, a sort of sumach. 



9 This is not the fact ; the seeds when ripe are merely lost to view in 

 the large tufts of down which grow on the stems. 



10 Generally supposed to be the same as the alaternus, mentioned in 

 B. xvi. c. 45. Some writers identify it with the Phyllirea angustifolia 

 of Linnaeus. 



11 Probably the Ferula communis of Linnaeus, the herb or shrub 

 known as " fennel giant." 



