ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IV. iv. 4-5 



which ^ men sometimes even live. The roots as they 

 grow are easily distinguished from the branches, 

 being whiter hairy crooked and leafless.- The 

 foliage above is also abundant, and the whole tree is 

 round and exceedingly large. They say that it 

 extends its shade for as much as two furlongs ; and 

 the thickness of the stem is in some instances more 

 than sixty ^ paces, while many specimens are as 

 much as forty ^ paces through. The leaf is quite as 

 large as a shield,^ but the fruit is very small,^ only as 

 large as a chick-pea, and it resembles a fig. And 

 this is why the Greeks ^ named this tree a ' fig-tree.' 

 The fruit is cui'iously scanty, not only relatively to 

 the size of the tree, but absolutely. The tree also 

 grows near the river Akesines." 



There is also another tree^ which is very large 

 and has wonderfully sweet and large fruit ; it is 

 used for food by the sages of India who wear no 

 clothes. 



There is another tree^ whose leaf is oblong in 

 shape, like the feathers of the ostrich ; this they 

 fasten on to their helmets, and it is about two cubits 

 long. 



There is also another 1*^ whose fruit is long and not 

 straight, but crooked, and it is sweet to the taste. 

 This causes griping in the stomach and dysentery ; 

 wherefore Alexander ordered that it should not be 

 eaten. There is also another ^^ whose fruit is like the 

 fruit of the cornelian cherry. 



* -KiKri) : a small round shield. = cf. C.P. 2. 10. 2. 

 ^ I.e. in Alexander's expedition. '• Chenab. 



8 Jack-fruit. See Index App. (3). Plin. 12. 24. 



* Banana. See Index App. (4). 



" Mango. See Index App. (5). Plin. 12. 24. 

 " Jujube. See Index App. (6). 



