ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, III. vii. 4-5 



other black resinous gall. Again it has another 

 growth, like a mulberry in shape, but hard and 

 difficult to break ; this however is not common. It 

 has also another growth like the penis in shape, 

 which, when it is further developed, makes a hard 

 prominence and has a hole through it. This to a 

 certain extent resembles also a bull's head, but, when 

 split open, it contains inside a thing shaped like the 

 stone of an olive.' The oak also produces what some 

 call the ' ball ' ; this is a soft woolly spherical object 

 enclosing a small stone which is harder,' and men 

 use it for their lamps ; for it burns well, as does the 

 black gall. The oak also produces another hairy 

 ball, which is generally useless, but in the spring 

 season it is covered with a juice which is like honey 

 both to touch and taste. 



3 Further the oak produces right inside the axil * 

 of the branches another ball with no stalk or else ^ 

 a hollow one ; this is peculiar and of various colours : 

 for the knobs which arise on it are whitish or black 

 and spotted,^ while the part between these is brilliant 

 scarlet ; but, when it is opened, it is black and 

 rotten." It also occasionally produces a small stone 

 which more or less resembles pumice-stone ; also, less 

 commonly, there is a leaf-like ball, which is oblong 

 and of close texture. Further the oak produces on the 

 rib of the leaf a white transparent ball, which is 

 watery, when it is young ; and this sometimes con- 



' Plin. 16. 29. 



* iy^orepw . . . fuiaxaf^iSos conj. R. Const. ; ivrepiaivrii rmv 

 poTuv ^a<rxaA/5oj UAkl. Plin., I.e., giffnuiU et alae ramorum 

 eiM.s pilulaK. ^ ^ ins. St. 



^ Plin., I.e., nigra varietate di^persa. 



'' tiriaairpoy; Plin., I.e., has apertis amara inanitaa est, 

 whence iniwiKpov conj. Sch, 



