ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IX. VH. 1-3 



of more than thirty furlongs. They have 110 

 fragrance 1 when they are green, but only when 

 they are dried, and in appearance they do not 

 differ 2 from ordinary reeds and rushes ; but, as 

 you approach the spot, immediately a sweet smell 

 strikes you. However it is not true, as some say, 

 that the fragrance is wafted to ships approaching 3 

 the country ; for indeed this district is more than 

 150 furlongs from the sea. However it is said 

 that in Arabia the breezes wafted from the land 

 are fragrant. 



Such then are the plants in Syria which have 

 remarkable fragrance. For that of khalbane is more 

 oppressive and somewhat medicinal; 4 for this perfume 

 also is produced in Syria from the plant called all- 

 heal. As to all the other fragrant plants used for 

 aromatic odours, they come partly from India 

 whence they are sent over sea, and partly from 

 Arabia, for instance, komakon^ as well as cinnamon 

 and cassia. The fruit called komakon is said to be 

 distinct 6 from this ; the komakon of which we 

 are speaking is a perfume which they mix with the 

 choicest unguents. Cardamom and Nepaul cardamom 

 some say come from Media ; others say that these 

 come from India, as well as spikenard and most, if 

 not all, of the other species. 



Now this is a general list of the plants used for 

 perfumes : cassia cinnamon cardamom spikenard 

 natron balsam of Mecca aspalathos storax iris narte 



6 elvat has no government, and W. considers the passage 

 corrupt. Comparison of Plin. I.e. suggests that the original 

 text may have been something like this : rb K(*>/j.aKoi> Kapirbv 

 ov rbi/ 5e x"^j> f.r.\., i.e. ' komakon is of different character 

 from these, being a fruit, whose juice .' Plin. calls , a kind 

 of cinnamon. 



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