ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, III. x. 3-4 



The ostrys (hop-hornbeam), 1 which some call 

 oslrya, has also but one kind : it is like the beech in 

 growth and bark ; its leaves are in shape like a pear's, 

 except that they are much longer, come to a sharp 

 point, are larger, and have many fibres, which branch 

 out like ribs from a large straight one 2 in the 

 middle, and are thick ; also the leaves are wrinkled 

 along the fibres and have a finely serrated edge ; the 

 wood is hard colourless and whitish ; the fruit is 

 small oblong and yellow like barley ; it has shallow 

 roots ; it loves water and is found in ravines. It is 

 said to be unlucky to bring it into the house, since, 

 wherever it is, it is supposed to cause a painful 

 death 3 or painful labour in giving birth. 



4 The lime has both ' male ' and ' female ' forms, 

 which differ in their general appearance, in that ot 

 the wood, and in being respectively fruit-bearing 

 and sterile. The wood of the 'male' tree is hard 

 yellow more branched closer, and also more fragrant 5 ; 

 that of the 'female' is whiter. The bark of the 

 ' male ' is thicker, and, when stripped off, is un- 

 bending because of its hardness ; that of the 'female ' 

 is thinner 6 and flexible ; men make their writing- 

 cases 7 out of it. The ' male ' has neither fruit nor 

 flower, but the ' female ' has both flower and fruit ; 

 the flower is cup-shaped, and appears alongside 

 of the stalk of the leaf, or alongside of next year'i 



3 SvffBava.Tf'tv I conj. ; SvvOdvaTov P 2 Ald. ; SwOavaTav conj. 

 Sch. , but SvaQavaTav has a desiderative sense. 



4 Plin. 16. 65. 



5 6T< 5' fv(i>5. inserted here by Sch.; cf. Plin., I.e. In Aid. 

 the words, with the addition T& TTJS 07]\etas, occur after 



VOlOVfflV. 



6 \eTTr6repos conj. Scb ; \euK6rfpos Aid. 



7 cf. 3. 13. 1 ; Ar. Vesp. 529. 



225 



