ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, II. in. 3~iv. 2 



shoots had, so to speak, only been shed. But after 

 all such phenomena are perhaps far from strange, 

 since the cause in each case is obvious ; rather is it 

 strange that trees should bear fruit not at the places 

 where it naturally forms, or else fruit which does not 

 belong to the character 1 of the tree. And most 

 surprising of all is it when, 2 as has been said, 3 

 there is a change in the entire character of the 

 tree. Such are the changes which occur in trees. 



Oj spontaneous and other changes in other plants. 



IV. 4 Of other plants it appears that bergamot-mint 

 turns into cultivated mint, unless it is fixed by special 

 attention; and this is why men frequently transplant 5 

 it ; 6 so too wheat turns into darnel. Now in trees 

 such changes, if they occur, are spontaneous, but in 

 annual plants they are deliberately brought about : 

 for instance, one-seeded wheat and rice- wheat change 7 

 into wheat, if bruised before they are sown ; and 

 this does not happen at once, but in the third year. 

 This change resembles that produced in the seeds by 

 difference of soil 8 ; for these grains vary according 

 to the soil, and the change takes about the same 

 time as that which occurs in one-seeded wheat. 

 Again wild wheats and barleys also with tendance 

 and cultivation change in a like period. 



These changes appear to be due to change of soil 

 and cultivation, and in some cases the change is due 

 to both, in others to cultivation alone ; for instance, 

 in order that pulses may not become uncookable, 9 



9 But see reff. under afya in Index. 



7 cf. G.P. 5. 6. 12 ; Plin. 18. 93. 



8 x^P a " conj. St.; wpav Ald.H. 



9 arepdfj.ova conj. W. ; arepajLiva UAld. cf. 8. 8. 6 and 7 5 

 C.P. 4. 7. 2 ; 4. 12. 1 and 8 ; Geop. 2. 35. 2 ; 2. 41. 



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