ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, II. iii. 3-iv. 2 



shoots had, so to speak, only been shed. But after 

 all such phenomena are perhaps far from strange, 

 since the cause in each case is obvious ; rather is it 

 strange that trees should bear fruit not at the places 

 where it naturally forms, or else fruit which does not 

 belong to the character^ of the tree. And most 

 surprising of all is it when,^ as has been said,^ 

 there is a change in the entire character of the 

 tree. Such are the changes which occur in trees. 



Of spontantous and other changes in other plants. 



IV. ■* Of other plants it appears that bergamot-mint 

 turns into cultivated mint, unless it is fixed by special 

 attention ; and this is why men frequently transplant ^ 

 it ; '^ so too wheat turns into darnel. Now in trees 

 such changes, if they occur, are spontaneous, but in 

 annual plants they are deliberately brought about : 

 for instance, one-seeded wheat and rice-wheat change^ 

 into wheat, if bruised before they are sown ; and 

 this does not happen at once, but in the third year. 

 This change resembles that produced in the seeds by 

 difference of soil ^ ; for these grains vary according 

 to the soil, and the change takes about the same 

 time as that which occurs in one-seeded wheat. 

 Again wild wheats and barleys also with tendance 

 and cultivation change in a like period. 



These changes appear to be due to change of soil 

 and cultivation, and in some cases the change is due 

 to both, in others to cultivation alone ; for instance, 

 in order that pulses may not become uncookable,^ 



" But see reff. under atpa in Index. 

 ' cf.C.P. 5. 6. 12; Plin. 18.93. 

 * X^pau con j. St. ; Sipav Ald.H. 



8 orepa/itoj'a conj. W.; arepafwa UAld. c/. 8. 8. 6 and 7: 

 C.P. 4. 7. 2 ; 4. 12. 1 and 8 ; Geop. 2. 35. 2 ; 2. 41. 



123 



