ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, III. xvn. 5-xvin. i 



of leaf and bark is a dull green, the shape of the 

 leaf is like that of the lime ; it is soft and broad, 

 and in size it also corresponds ; the flower is like 

 that of the medlar, and the tree blooms at the same 

 time as that tree. The fruit, which they call a ' fig,' 

 is red, and as large as an olive, but it is rounder 

 and is like the medlar in taste ; the roots are thick 

 like those of the cultivated fig, and tough. The 

 tree does not rot, and it has a solid heart, instead of 

 ordinary heart-wood. 



The 'vine' (currant grape) grows about the place 

 called Phalakrai in the district of Ida ; it is shrubby 

 with small twigs ; the branches are about a cubit 

 long, and attached to them at the side are black 

 berries, which are the size of a bean and sweet ; 

 inside they have a sort of soft stone 1 ; the leaf is 

 round undivided and small 



Of the differences in various shrubs buckthorn, withy, Christ's 

 thorn, bramble, sumach, ivy, smilax, [spindle-tree], 



XVIII. Most other mountains too have certain 

 peculiar products, whether trees shrubs or other 

 woody plants. However we have several times 

 remarked as to such peculiarities that they occur in 

 all regions. Moreover the variation 2 between things 

 of the same kind which we find in trees obtains also 

 among shrubs and most other things, as has been 

 said : for instance, we find it in buckthorn Christ's 

 thorn withy 3 sumach ivy bramble and many 

 others. 



8 [KU\ otrov] bracketed by W. ; /col taov Aid. ; KO\ f<rot> KH\ 

 otrov MVP ; Kol otffov Kal ofroi U. Only oTtroj is mentioned in 

 the following descriptions. 



269 



