ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, I. vi. 8-9 



that is to say, this fleshy or bark-like root, like squill, 

 as well as the l roots which grow from this. For 

 these roots not only differ in degree of stoutness, 

 like those of trees and pot-herbs ; they are of quite 

 distinct classes. 2 This is at once quite evident in 

 cuckoo-pint and galingale, 3 the root being in the one 

 case thick smooth and fleshy, in the other thin and 

 fibrous. Wherefore we might question if such roots 

 should be called ' roots' ; inasmuch as they are under 

 ground they would seem to be roots, but, inasmuch 

 as they are of opposite character to other roots, they 

 would not. For your root gets slenderer as it gets 

 longer and tapers continuously 4 to a point ; but the 

 so-called root of squill purse-tassels and cuckoo-pint 

 does just the opposite. 



Again, while the others send out roots at the 

 sides, this is not the case 5 with squill and purse- 

 tassels, nor yet with garlic and onion. In general 

 in these plants the roots which are attached to 

 the ' head ' in the middle appear to be real roots 

 and receive nourishment, 6 and this ' head ' is, as 

 it were, an embryo or fruit ; wherefore those who 

 call such plants ' plants which reproduce them- 

 selves underground ' 7 give a fair account of them. 

 In other kinds of plants there is nothing of this 

 sort. 8 But a difficult question is raised, since here 

 the 'root' has a character which goes beyond what 

 one associates with roots. For it is not right to call 

 all that which is underground 'root,' since in that 

 case the stalk 9 of purse-tassels and that of long 

 onion and in general any part which is under- 



evreoff oi<ra\fyones U ; ti> re TO?S offrois a\jovrS MV (omit- 

 ting Tf) Aid. (omitting TO?J). 



8 roiovro /j.fv ouSeV conj. W.; rovro /u.cv MSS 



9 ILV it nav\6s conj. St. ; ava.Kav\os Aid. 



47 



