ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, VIII. iv. 6-v. 2 



alike, one in winter and one in spring, at which time 

 they also plant the seed of the pulses. 1 



Some kinds are free from darnel, as the Pontic 

 and the Egyptian ; the Sicilian is also fairly free from 

 it, and that of Akragas is especially immune from 

 darnel. 



2 Peculiar however to the Sicilian is the plant 

 called mclampyron? which is harmless 4 and not, like 

 the darnel, injurious and productive of headache. 5 

 However such peculiarities, as was said, must be 

 ascribed to the soil, and to a certain extent 6 to the 

 different characters of different kinds. 



Of the differences between pulses. 



V. In pulses we cannot find such differences to 

 the same extent, whether for the want of equally 

 careful enquiry or because there is actually less 

 diversity in these plants. 7 For, apart from chick- 

 pea lentil and to a certain extent bean and vetch 

 (in so far as in these we find differences of colour 

 and taste), among the rest 8 no distinct forms are 

 recognised. Chick-peas however differ in size colour 

 taste and shape; thus there are the varieties called 

 ' rams,' ' vetch-like ' chick-peas and the intermediate 

 forms. 9 In all pulses the white are the sweeter, 

 and this applies to vetch lentil chick-pea bean and 

 sesame, of which also there is a white form. 



10 However it is more possible to recognise the 

 differences in such points as these : all these plants 

 have pods, 11 but whereas the pods in some kinds have 



7 Plin. 18. 124. 8 7' conj. Sch.; T' Ald.H. 



9 ot after bpifiiaioi add. Dalec. For ava /j.e<rov cf. 3. 18. 2. 

 10 Plin 18. 125. 



31 e \\o0a conj. Seal, from G ; e'AAe'/Sopa Ald.H.; ^AAjo/jaU; 

 eTrel irdvra ravr' conj. W.; ^rl iravra TO, Ald.H. 



173 



