Chap. 52.] THE EPTPETRON. 349 



distance-* from the river ; the fruit of it is round,-^ and about 

 the size of a medlar, but without either kernel or rind; the 

 leaves of the plant are similar to those of the cyperus. The 

 people there eat the fruit of it cooked upon the fire, as also of 

 the oetum,-® a plant which has a few leaves only, and those ex- 

 tremely diminutive, though the root is large in proportion.^ 

 The arachidna,^^ again, and the aracos have numerous brancliy 

 Toots, but neither leaves nor any herbaceous parts, nor, indeed, 

 anything that makes its appearance above ground. 



The other plants that are commonly eaten in Egypt are the 

 chondrylla,^^ the hypochoeris,^^ the caucalis,^^ the anthriscum,"^ 

 the scaudix, the come, by some persons known as the trago- 

 pogon,^^ Avith leaves very similar to those of saffron, the par- 

 thenium,^^ the trychnum,^' and the corchorus f^ with the 

 aphace ^^ and acynopos,^ which make their appearance at the 

 equinox. There is a plant also, called the epipetron,^^ which 



2* Theoplirastiis, B. iv. c. 10, says that it grows in the sandy soil in the 

 vicinity of the river. 



'^^ It is simihir in appearance to the papvriis, and its tubercles are ob- 

 long, or round and fleshy, with an agreeable flavour. 



■'"' The Arachis hypogeea of Linnajus, the earth pistachio. 



27 The root is not large ; but the fruit is so close to the earth that Pliny 

 may have confounded it with the real root of the plant. 



2S Sprengel identifies this with the Lathyrus amphicarpos, and the 

 aracos Avith the Lathyrus tuberosus, varieties of tlie chiclieling vetch. 

 Colurana thinks that this last was the arachidna. Fee says that the data 

 are altogether insuflicient to enable us to form an opinion. 



29 The Chondrylla juucea of Linnteus, according to Fee ; but Desfon- 

 taines identifies it with the Lactuca perennis. 



^^ Desfoutaines identifies it with the Hyoseris lucida. Fee says that 

 the opinion is equally as diflicult to combat as to support. 



3^ Fee identifies it with the Caucalis grandifiora of Linnaeus, a native 

 of Greece. Desfontaines mentions the Caucalis Orientalis, an Eastern plant. 



^'^ For this and the Scandix, see B. xxii. c. 38, 



33 A chicoraceous plant : the Tragopogou crocifolius of Linnaeus. 



31 See c. 104 of tliis Book. 



3^ See cc. 35 and 105 of this Book. 



2^ The Corchorus olitorius of Linnaeus : still cultivated in Egypt. 



3'' Identified by some, but it is doubtful if with any good reason, with the 

 Leontodon taraxacum of Linnjeus : our dandelion. 



^** The reading is doubtthl, and it does not appear to have been iden- 

 tified. 



'■•■> Or " stone-plant :" identified with the Sedum anacamps^ros of Lin- 

 nieus : a variety of house-leek. 



