ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IV. n. 7-8 



branches forks again : moreover the twigs are very 

 short and not numerous. They use the leaf, like the 

 palm-leaf, for plaiting. It has a peculiar fruit, very 

 different from that of the date-palm in size form and 

 taste ; for in size it is nearly big enough to fill the 

 hand, but it is round rather than long ; the colour is 

 yellowish, the flavour sweet and palatable. It does 

 not grow bunched together, like the fruit of the date- 

 palm, but each fruit grows separately ; it has a large 

 and very hard stone, out of which they turn the 

 rings for embroidered bed-hangings. 1 The wood is 

 very different to that of the date-palm ; whereas the 

 latter is of loose texture fibrous and porous, 2 that of 

 the doum-palm is close heavy and fleshy, and when 

 split is exceedingly compact and hard. The Persians 3 

 used to esteem it highly and made the feet of their 

 couches out of it. 



4 The a/cant ha (acacia) is so called because the 

 whole tree is spinous (akanthodes] except the stem ; 

 for it has spines on the branches shoots and leaves. 

 It is of large stature, since lengths of timber for 

 roofing of twelve cubits are cut from it. There are 

 two kinds, the white and the black ; the white is weak 

 and easily decays, the black is stronger and less 

 liable to decay ; wherefore they use it in shipbuilding 

 for the ribs. 5 The tree is not very erect in growth. 

 The fruit is in a pod, like that of leguminous plants, 

 and the natives use it for tanning hides instead of 

 gall. 6 The flower is very beautiful in appearance, so 

 that they make garlands of it, and it has medicinal 



1 Plin. I.e., vdares annulos ; cf, Athen. 12. 71, ad Jin. 

 a Xavvov conj. Sch.; x^ w / J ^ v Aid. 



3 i.e. during their occupation of Egypt. 



4 Plin 13. 63 ; Athen. 15. 25. 



5 cf. Hdt. 2. 96. 6 c/. Athen. I.e. 



299 



