Chap. 62:] THE IVY. 401 



it is known as the ivy of Nysa, by others as that of Bacchus : 13 

 it is the one that among the black varieties has the largest 

 clusters of all. Some of the Greek writers even distinguish 

 in this last kind two varieties, according to the colour of the 

 berries, the erythranum 14 and the chrysocarpus. 15 



It is the helix, however, that has the most peculiarities of 

 all, and in the appearance of the leaf more particularly, which 

 is small, angular, and of a more elegant shape, the leaf in all 

 the other kinds being plain and simple. It differs, too, in the 

 distance between the joints, and in being barren more espe- 

 cially, as it never bears fruit. Some authors, however, think 

 that this difference exists solely in respect of age and not of 

 kind, and are of opinion that what is the helix when young, 

 becomes the ordinary ivy when old. This, however, is clearly 

 proved to be an error upon their part, for we find more varieties 

 of the helix than one, and three in particular — that of a grass- 

 green colour, which is the most abundant of all, the kind w T ith 

 a white leaf, and a third, which is parti-coloured, and known 

 as the Thracian helix. In that of a grass-green colour, the 

 leaves are smaller, more closely packed together, and symmetri- 

 cally arranged ; while in the other kinds the features are alto- 

 gether different. In the parti-coloured kind, also, one variety 

 has a smaller leaf than usual, similarly arranged, and lying 

 closer together, while in the other none of these features are 

 observed. The leaves, too, are either greater or smaller and 

 differ in the disposition of the spots upon them, and in the 

 white helix some of them are whiter than others : the grass- 

 green variety, however, is the one that grows to the greatest 

 height. 



The white helix is in the habit of killing trees by depriving 

 them of their juices, and increases to such a degree of density 

 as to be quite a tree itself. Its characteristics are, a very 

 large, broad, leaf, and projecting buds, which in all the other 

 kinds are bent inwards; its clusters, too, stand out erect. 

 Although, too, all the ivies have arms that throw out a root, 

 those of this variety are particularly branchy and strong ; next 

 to it in strength, are those of the black ivy. 



13 See B. v. c. 16, and B. vi. c. 23. 



14 The "red berry" and the " golden fruit." 



- 5 The berries are yellow in the first variety of the common ivy, the 

 Hedera poetica of C. Bauhin. 



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