ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, III. xii. 1-3 



arranged in pairs opjwsite one another. The wood 

 of the ' male ' tree has no heart, but is hard through- 

 out, like horn in closeness and strength ; whereas 

 that of the ' female ' tree has heart- wood and is softer 

 and goes into holes ; wherefore it is useless for 

 javelins. The height of the * male ' tree is at most 

 twelve cubits, the length of the longest Macedonian 

 spear, the stem up to the point where it divides 

 not being very tall. The people of Mount Ida 

 in the Troad say that the ' male ' tree is barren, 

 but that the ' female ' bears fruit. The fruit has a 

 stone like an olive and is sweet to the taste and 

 fragrant^ ; the flower is like that of the olive, and the 

 tree produces its flowers and fruit in the same manner, 

 inasmuch as it has several growing from one stalk,^ 

 and they are produced at almost the same time 

 in both forms. However the people of Macedonia 

 say that both trees bear fruit, though that of the 

 ' female ' is uneatable, and the roots are like those of 

 the chaste-tree, strong and indestructible. This tree 

 grows in wet ground and not only ^ in dry places ; 

 and it comes from seed, and also can be propagated 

 from a piece torn off. 



* The ' cedar,' some say, has two forms, the Ljcian 

 and the Phoenician ^ ; but some, as the people of 

 Mount Ida, say that there is only one form. It 

 resembles the arkeulhos (Phoenician cedar), differing 

 chiefly in the leaf, that of ' cedar ' being hard shaq) 

 and spinous, while that of arkeidhos is softer : the 

 latter tree also seems to be of taller growth. How- 

 ever some do not give them distinct names, but call 



' fiovov ins. R. Const, from G. 



* Plin. 13. 52. See Index ireSpos and ipKfvdoi. 



' *oi»'»jc^i': toifiKiiciiy conj. W. cf. 9. 2. 3 ; Plin. I.e. 



235 



