CHAP,I. TREES AND SHRUBS KNOWN TO THE ANCIENTS. 19 
Conifere. Cedrus Libani; Larix europz a; Pinus halepénsis, 
Pinea, maritima, and * sylvéstris; Abies excélsa and Picea; 
Cupréssus sempervirens; Thodja aphylla; Taxus * baccata; 
Juniperus * communis, Ox¥cedrus, lycia, and * nana. 
Cycddea. Cycas revoluta. 
Smilacee. Smilax aspera; Riscus hypophf¥llum, * aculeatus 
? racemosus. 
Pdélme. Phoenix dactylifera, and four varieties; Cocos nuci- 
fera; Chamee‘rops ; ? Areca Catechu. 
Graminee. Bambisa arundinacea, 
It thus appears that the total number of species known to 
Theophrastus was not less than 170, which belong to 53 groups 
or natural orders. 
The Romans appear to have begun with a knowledge of all 
the trees possessed by the Greeks ; and there are added to them, 
in their works, almost all the trees of the colder regions of Eu- 
rope. It is evident that the Romans introduced trees into Italy 
from other countries; because frequent mention is made, by 
their agricultural writers, of the platanus, the cedar, the cypress, 
and other trees, which are not indigenous to Italy; and the 
cherry, the peach, and other fruits, we are informed, were 
imported from Persia. The pine, the bay, the plane, and the 
box appear to have been the favourite trees of gardens: the first, 
for its refreshing odour; the second, for its beauty, and because 
it was used in crowning martial heroes; and the third, on 
account of its shade. Pliny observes, ‘‘ In old times trees were 
the very temples of the gods; and, according to that ancient 
manner, the plain and simple peasants of the country, savouring 
still of antiquity, do at this day consecrate to one god or other 
the goodliest and fairest trees that they can meete withall; and 
verily, we ourselves adore, not with more reverence and devotion, 
the stately images of gods within our temples (made though they 
be of glittering gold and beautiful ivory), than the very groves 
and tufts of trees, wherein we worship the same gods in religious 
silence. First, the ancient ceremony of dedicating this and that 
kind of tree to several gods, as proper and peculiar to them, 
was always observed, and continues to this day, For the great 
mighty oak, named esculus, is consecrated to Jupiter, the laurel 
to Apollo, the olive to Minerva, the myrtle to Venus, and the 
poplar to Hercules.” (Holland’s Translation of Pliny’s Natural 
History, p. 357.) 
The Romans cultivated trees for useful purposes, like the 
moderns. They planted coppice woods, for fuel, fence wood, and 
props for the vine; they had osier grounds, for producing hoop 
and basket willows; single rows of elms and poplars, for wpe 
I 
porting the vine; and they had indigenous forests on the hills 
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