156 PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY. [Book XIX. 



comes arborescent at the sixth month, so much so, in fact, 

 as to admit of its being used for walking-sticks. "We have 

 another instance, again, in the mallow- tree of Mauretania, 

 which is found at Lixus, a city built upon an sestuary 

 there ; and at which spot, it is said, were formerly the gardens 

 of the Ilesperides, at a distance of two hundred paces from the 

 Ocean, near the shrine of Hercules, more ancient, tradition says, 

 than the temple at Gades. This mallow-tree 46 is twenty feet 

 in height, and of such a thickness that there is not a person in 

 existence who is able with his arms to span its girth. 



In the class of ferulaceous plants we must include hemp 47 

 also. There are some plants, again, to which we must give 

 the appellation of "fleshy;" 48 such as those spongy 49 productions 

 which are found growing in damp meadows. As to the fungus, 

 with a hard, tough flesh, we have already 50 made mention of 

 it when speaking of wood and trees ; and of truffles, which 

 form another variety, we have but very recently given a de- 

 scription. 51 



CHAP. 23. (5.) VEGETABLES OF A CAKTlLAGINOtJS NATTTRE 



CTJCTJMBEBS. PEPOXES. 



The cucumber 52 belongs to the cartilaginous class of plants, 

 and grows above the ground. It was a wonderful favourite 

 with the Emperor Tiberius, and, indeed, he was never without 

 it ; for he had raised beds made in frames upon wheels, 

 by means of which the cucumbers were moved and exposed to 

 the full heat of the sun ; while, in winter, they were withdrawn, 

 and placed under the protection of frames glazed with mirror- 

 stone. 53 We find it stated, also, by the ancient Greek writers, 



46 In Fee's opinion this tree cannot have belonged to the family of Mal- 

 vaceae ; the Adansonia and some other exotics of the family, with which 

 Pliny undoubtedly was not acquainted, being the only ones that attain 

 these gigantic proportions. 



47 There is no resemblance between mallows and hemp, any more than 

 there is between mallows and anise. 



48 "Carnosa." 



49 Hardouin thinks that he alludes to the Conferva, or river sponge, 

 again mentioned in B. xxvii. c. 45. Fee, however, dissents from that 

 opinion. 



' 5 In B. xvi. cc. 11 and 13, and in cc. 12 and 14 of the present Book. 



51 In c. 11 of the present Book. 



52 The Cucumis sativus of Linnaeus. 



53 "Lapis specularis." See B. xxxvi. c. 45. Coiumella, De Re Rust. 

 B. xi. c. 3, speaks of this mode of ripening cucumber, and the fondnesg 

 of the Emperor Tiberius for them. 



