ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VII. HI. 1-3 



bean, and among herbaceous plants l that of the 

 plant called heliotropion, and also other wild plants. 

 Cucumber also has a long period 2 of bloom, for this 

 plant has a second growth. The flowers are in some 

 cases whitish, in others quince-yellow, 3 in others 

 somewhat reddish 4 ; but the flower is never of a 

 bright colour. 



5 The seeds too differ in shape ; most are round, 

 but some are oblong ; some again are broad and leaf- 

 like, as those of orach, for the seed of this is like 

 that of silphium ; others again are narrow or 

 marked in lines, 6 as those of cummin. They also 

 vary in colour, some being black, some the colour 

 of wood, 7 some paler. The seeds of all are either 

 in pods or naked, or have an integument or have a 

 pappus. Radish mustard and turnip have their seeds 

 in pods ; coriander fennel dill and cummin, have 

 naked seeds ; those of blite beet orach and basil are 

 enclosed in an integument ; those of lettuce have a 

 pappus on them. 



All have numerous fruits and numerous shoots, 

 but cummin has the most 8 fruits of all. 9 And there 

 is another peculiarity told of this plant : they say 

 that one must curse and abuse it, while sowing, if 

 the crop is to be fair and abundant. 



Nearly all of these, except cummin, are hard to 

 dry for keeping, unlike corn 10 ; for this, when once 



: cf 4. 12. 2. ; canaliculata Plin. I.e. 



7 ? ' brown W. 7 9. 3. 



8 cf. 8. 3. 5 ; G P. 4. 15. 2. 



9 cf 9. 8. 8; Plin. I.e. applies this to &KI^OV, Pall. 4. 9. 5 

 to ir-fiyavov. 



10 ff'iros- OVTOS yap I conj. ; ovros yap UMH. ; P omits 

 yap ', ff'iros t>s W. after Sch. ; nee modo frumcnti consistunt, 

 quod G. 



77 



