ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, I. iv. 3 -v. i 



However, if one should wish l to be precise, one 

 would find 2 that even of these some are impartial 

 and as it were amphibious, such as tamarisk willow 

 alder, and that others even of those which are 

 admitted to be plants of the dry land sometimes live 

 in the sea, 3 as palm squill asphodel. But to con- 

 sider all these exceptions and, in general, to consider 

 in such a manner is not the right way to proceed. 

 For in such matters too nature certainly does not 

 thus go by any hard and fast law. Our distinctions 

 therefore and the study of plants in general must be 

 understood accordingly. 4 To return these plants 

 as well as all others will be found to differ, as has 

 been said, both in the shape of the whole and 

 in the differences between the parts, either as to 

 having or not having certain parts, or as to having 

 a greater or less number of parts, or as to having 

 them differently arranged, or because of other dif- 

 ferences 5 such as we have already mentioned. And 

 it is perhaps also proper to take into account the 

 situation in which each plant naturally grows or 

 does not grow. For this is an important distinc- 

 tion, and specially characteristic of plants, because 

 they are united to the ground and not free from 

 it like animals. 



Characteristic differences in the parts of plants, ivhether 

 general, special, or seen in qualities and properties. 



V. Next we must try to give the differences as 

 to particular parts, in the first instance speaking 

 broadly of those of a general character, 6 and then 



8 i.e. those which divide plants into large classes (e.y. 

 evergreen and deciduous). 



33 



