ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VII. xi. 1-3 



character of individual kinds. I mean for instance 

 the plants which have a spike, 1 those which may 

 be classed with wild chervil, 2 and those which 

 have a single stem, 3 .... or any other such class 

 in which one can find some such general charac- 

 teristics obvious to the senses either in leaves flowers 

 roots or fruits ; (for the classification is to be made 

 by the visible parts, as well as by the roots). 4 



5 An example of the plants which have a spike 

 is the plant which some call ( dog's eye 6 ' (rib-grass), 

 which comprises several forms ; we have also e fox- 

 brush,' stelephuros (plantain)^ which some call ( lamb's 

 tongue ' and some ' quail-plant ' ; and somewhat 

 similar to this is thryallis. These are simple plants 

 and uniform in character, having a spike which 

 is not pointed nor bearded ; while in ' fox-brush ' 

 it is soft and somewhat downy, in that it actually 

 resembles the brush of a fox, whence also it has 

 obtained its name. Similar to this is stelephuros 

 (plantain), except that it does not, like that plant, 

 flower here and there, but all up the spike like 

 wheat. The bloom of both is downy like that of corn, 

 and the plants in their general appearance resemble 

 wheat, but have broader leaves. Of the other 

 plants which have a spike a similar account may be 

 given. 



7 The chicory-like plants all have annual leaves 

 and have root-leaves, and they begin to grow after 

 the Pleiad, except dandelion 8 ; but in their stems 



4 Roots being the basis of classification in xii. below. 



6 Plin. 21. 101. 



8 Kvvwfy conj. Sch. ; axvvwty CJAld. ; Plin. I.e. has cynops 

 (cf. 7. 7. 3) ; oculus caninus G. 



7 i.e. composites. Plin. I.e. 



8 airdir-ns U; airdrTjs MAld. cf. 7. 7. 1 n. ; 7. 8. 3 n. 



121 



