ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IV. viii. 7-9 



jnlos^ is made. So much for the fruit. The root 

 is thicker than the thickest reed, and is made up of 

 distinct tubes, like the stalk. -They eat it both 

 i-aw boiled and roasted, and the people of the 

 marshes make this their food. It mostly grows of 

 its own accord ; however they also sow ^ it in the 

 mud, having first well mixed the seed with chaff, so 

 that it may be carried down and remain in the 

 ground without being rotted ; and so they prepare 

 the ' bean ' fields, and if the plant once takes hold it 

 is permanent. For the root is strong and not unlike 

 that of reeds, except that it is prickly on the surface. 

 Wherefore the crocodile avoids it, lest he may strike 

 his eye on it, since he has not sharp sight. This 

 plant also grows in Syria and in parts of Cilicia, but 

 these countries cannot ripen it ; also about Torone in 

 Chalcidice in a certain lake of small size ; and this 

 lake ripens it perfectly and matures its fruit. 



■*The plant called the lotos (Nile water-lily) grows 

 chiefly in the plains when the land is inundated. 

 The character of the stalk of this plant is like that 

 of the ' Egj'ptian bean,' and so are the ' hat-like ' 

 hjaves,^ except that they are smaller and slenderer. 

 And the fruit '' grows on the stalk in the same way 

 as that of the ' bean.' The flower is white, resem- 

 bling in the narrowness of its petals those of the 

 lily,'^ but there are many petals growing close one 

 upon another. When the sun sets, these close ^ and 

 cover up the ' head,' but with sunrise they open and 



» cf. 4. 8. 7. 



• Kaprhs cojij. W. ; Xanhs MSS. Possibly the fruit was 

 Sf eciallv called \un6s. 



7 cf. Hdt. 2. 92; Diosc. 4. 113. 



® 5up, ffv/jLfivei eonj. St.; <rvfj.ixvfi MV; (rvfifivrj U; avfifiirt] 

 (oaaitting koI) Ald.H. 



353 



