ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VII. x. 3 -xi. i 



begins when a certain season begins. Further in 

 these plants it is not easy to define l in each case 

 the time of first growth and the season when, the 

 fruits being matured, it makes a fresh start in 

 reproduction. This seems chiefly to occur after 

 the autumnal equinox ; for by that time most of 

 the seeds are matured, like most of the fruits of 

 trees : moreover a change then takes place in the 

 seed 2 itself as well as in the season. But in the 

 case of any seeds which are still immature and 

 unripe and so are overtaken by winter, the period 

 of first growth, the flowering of the new plant, and 

 the period of maturity are proportionally later. 

 Wherefore it comes to pass that some bloom at 

 the solstice, some at the rising of the dog-star, 

 and some after the rising of Arcturus and the 

 autumnal equinox. 3 



But these matters seem to require a wider in- 

 vestigation in order to determine when the process 

 begins. However it is clear from what has been 

 said that these plants present at least as many 

 differences as trees. 4 For some again of this class 

 are evergreen, as hulwort heliotropion and maiden- 

 hair. 



Of the classes into which herbaceous plants may be divided, as 

 those having a spike and chicory-like plants. 



XI. Having then made these explanations we must 

 now give a separate account of each plant, dis- 

 cussing the differences (in those plants in which 

 they occur) and saying how they arise . . . . 5 

 except those peculiarities which belong to the 



5 Lacuna in UMAld.Cam.Bas., leaving the connexion of 

 the next clause obscure. 



119 



