ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VII. v. 6-vi. 2 



longer time, except that such seed must necessarily 

 become less vigorous by reason of ( evaporation ' 1 

 and destruction by worms. 2 The chief cause of loss 

 is vermin ; for vermin occur in all the seeds, even 

 those which are pungent, though least in the gourd 3 

 tribe ; such seeds however, as they lose their moisture, 

 become bitter in taste and inferior for use. Let 

 this suffice for an account of the seeds and in general 

 of herbs cultivated in gardens. 



Of uncultivated herbs: the wild forms of pot-herbs. 



VI. 4 We must now endeavour to speak in the same 

 way of the wild kinds and of those which are called 

 uncultivated herbs. Some of these have the same 

 names as the cultivated 5 kinds ; for all these kinds 

 exist also in a wild form, and most of them resemble 

 the cultivated kinds in appearance, except that in 

 the wild forms the leaves and also the stalks are 

 smaller and rougher, and in particular these forms 

 are more pungent and stronger in taste, for instance, 

 savory 6 marjoram cabbage and rue ; the wild monk's 

 rhubarb (dock) indeed, though it has a pleasanter 

 taste than the cultivated, yet has 7 a sharper flavour ; 

 and this is the chief difference. Moreover all the 

 wild kinds are less juicy than the cultivated, and 

 perhaps this is the very reason why most s of them 

 are more pungent and stronger. 



A peculiarity of ' wild cabbage ' as compared with 

 the others is that its stems are rounder and smoother 



conj. Sch. ; clpf)/j.fvois Aid. The correction would 

 seem unnecessary but that Aid. gives flprj^tvois in 4 where 

 7/jue'pouj is required. 6 cf. Diosc. 3. 37. 



7 6v, T^ I conj. ; rlv 8e MSS.W. 



8 76 conj. Sch. ; rt UMAld. 



99 

 H 2 



