308 pliny's natural histoey. [Cook XV. 



As to the fig of Alexandria, 51 it is a black variety, with the 

 cleft inclining to white ; it has had the name given to it of 

 the " delicate" 53 fig : the Rhodian fig, too, and the Tiburtine, 53 

 one of the early kinds, are black. Some of them, again, bear 

 the name of the persons who were the first to introduce them, 

 such, for instance, as the Livian 54 and the Pompeian 55 figs : this 

 last variety is the best for drying in the sun and keeping for 

 use, from year to year ; the same is the case, too, with the 

 marisca, 56 and the kind which has a leaf spotted all over like 

 the reed. 57 There is also the Herculanean fig, the albicerata, 68 

 and the white aratia, a very large variety, with an extremely 

 diminutive stalk. 



The earliest of them all is the porphyrias, 59 which has a 

 stalk of remarkable length : it is closely followed by the popu- 

 laris, 60 one of the very smallest of the figs, and so called from 

 the low esteem in which it is held : on the other hand, the 

 chelidonia 61 is a kind that ripens the last of all, and to- 

 wards the beginning of winter. In addition to these, there are 

 figs that are at the same time both late and early, as they bear 

 two crops in the year, one white and the other black, 62 ripen- 

 ing at harvest-time and vintage respectively. There is another 

 late fig also, that has received its name from the singular 

 hardness of its skin ; one of the Chalcidian varieties bears as 

 many as three times in the year. It is at Tarentum only that 

 the remarkably sweet fig is grown which is known by the 

 name of " ona." 



Speaking of figs, Cato has the following remarks : " Plant 

 the fig called the ' marisca' on a chalky or open site, but for 

 the African variety, the Herculanean, the Saguntine, 63 the 



54 In Egypt. The Figue servantine, or cordeliere. 



52 "Delicata." The " bon-bouche." 



53 Fee suggests that this may have been the small early fig. 



54 From Livia, the wife of Augustus. 



55 From. Pompeius Magnus. 56 Apparently meaning the " marsh" fig. 

 57 The Laconian reed, Theophrastus says, B. iv. c. 12. 



5S The " white-wax" fig. 



59 Fee queries whether it may not be the Grosse bourjasotte. 



60 Or " people's" fig. The small early white fig. 



61 Or "swallow"-fig. 



62 Or it may mean " white and black," that being the colour of the 

 fig. Such a variety is still known. 



63 A Spanish variety; those of the south of Spain are very highly 

 esteemed. 



