ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, III. xvi. 4-6 



1 The arbutus, which produces the edible fruit 

 called memaikylon, is not a very large tree ; its bark is 

 thin and like that of the tamarisk, the leaf is between 

 that of the kermes-oak and that of the bay. It 

 blooms in the month Pyanepsion 2 ; the flowers grow 

 in clusters at the end of the boughs from a single 

 attachment ; in shape each of them is like an oblong 

 myrtle flower and it is of about the same size ; it has 

 no petals, but forms a cup like an empty eggshell, 3 

 and the mouth is open : when the flower drops off, 

 there is a hole 4 also through the part by which 

 it is attached, and the fallen flower is delicate and 

 like a whorl on a spindle or a Doric karneios. b The 

 fruit takes a year to ripen, so that it comes to pass 

 that this and the new flower are on the tree 

 together. 



6 The andrachne has a leaf like that of the arbutus 

 and is not a very large tree ; the bark is smooth 7 

 and cracked, 8 the fruit is like that of the arbutus. 



The leaf of the wig-tree 9 is also like that of 

 the last named tree, but it is a small tree. Peculiar 

 to it is the fact that the fruit passes into down 10 : 

 we have not heard of such a thing in any other 

 tree. These trees are found in a good many 

 positions and regions. 



6 Plin. 13. 120. 



7 \flov conj. Sch. ; \*VK}>V UAld. In Pletho's excerpt the 

 passage has \t~iov, and Plin., I.e., evidently read \elov. 



8 7rpippr)yvu/j.vov. Plin., I.e. , seems to have read Trepnrr;- 

 yvvjjifvov. c/. 1 . 5. 2 ; 9. 4. 3. 



9 Plin. 13. 121. KOKnvytas conj. Sch. after Plin. I.e., cf. 

 Hesych. S.v. KfKKOKvyw/j.fvrii'; KOKKOfj.T)\fas U; /co/c/ct^iTjXe'as 

 P 2 Ald. 



10 tKircunrovffOat : fructum amittere lanugine Plin. I.e. cf. 

 6. 8. 4. 



263 



