ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IV. vii. 7-vni. i 



and closed, but when it is ripe, it unfolds and puts 

 forth ^ the ' wool,' of which they weave their fabrics, 

 some of which are cheap and some very expensive. 



This tree is also found, as was said,- in India 

 as well as in Arabia. They say that there are other 

 trees ^ with a flower like the gilliflower, but scent- 

 less ■* and in size ^ four times as large as that flower. 

 And that there is another tree ^ with many leaves ' 

 like the rose, and that this closes at night, but opens 

 at sunrise, and by noon is completely unfolded ; and 

 at evening again it closes by degrees and remains 

 shut at night, and the natives say that it goes to 

 sleep. Also that there are date-palms on the island 

 and vines and other fruit-trees, including evergreen ^ 

 figs. Also that there is water from heaven, but 

 that they do not use it for the fruits, but that there 

 are many springs on the island, from Mhich they 

 Avater everything, and that this is more beneficial ^ 

 to the corn and the trees. Wherefore, even when it 

 rains, they let this water over the tields,i*^ as though 

 they were washing away the rain water. Such 



are the trees as so far observed which grow in the 

 outer sea. 



()/ the plants of rivers, marshes, and lakes, especially in Egypt. 



VIII. Next we must speak of plants which live in 

 rivers marshes and lakes. Of these there are three 

 classes, trees, plants of ' herbaceous ' ^^ character, and 



* & icol avfitpepfiy conj. Sch.; & koI avfuptpei Aid.; U has 

 axifKptptiv. 



'• cf. C.P. 2. 5. 5, where Androsthenes, one of Alexander's 

 admirals, is given as the authority for this statement. 



'^ The term ra -xoiuiSri seems to be given here a narrower 

 C3nnotation than usual, in order that ret XoxfueSi) may be 

 distinguished. 



345 



