ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, IV. xi. 8-10 



This reed grows in greatest abundance between 

 the Kephisos and the Black River ^ ; this district is 

 called Pelekania, and in it are certain ' pots,' as they 

 are called, which are deep holes in the marsh,- and 

 in these holes they say that it grows fairest ; it is also ^ 

 said to be found * where the river called the ' Sheep 

 River ' comes down, which is a stream that flows from 

 Lebadeia. But it appears to grow fairest of all near 

 •' the Sharp Bend ' ; this place is the mouth of the 

 Kephisos ; near it is a rich plain called Hippias. 

 There is another region north of the Sharp Bend 

 called Boedrias ; and here too they say that the reed 

 grows fine, and in general that it is fairest wherever 

 there is a piece of land with deep rich alluvial soil, 

 where also Kephisos mingles ^ his waters with the 

 soil, and where there is further a deep hole in the 

 marsh ; for that about the Shaq) Bend and Boedrias 

 all these conditions are found. As proof that the 

 Kephisos has a great effect in producing the reed of 

 good quality they have the fact that, where the river 

 called the ' Black River ' flows into the marsh, though 

 the marsh is there deep and the bottom of good 

 alluvial soil, it either does not grow at all or at best 

 but of poor quality. Let this suffice for an account 



af the growth and character of the reed used for 

 pipes, of the manufacture, and of its distinctive 

 features as compared with other reeds. 



But these are not the only kinds of reed ; there are 

 several others '^ with distinctive characters which are 

 easily recognised ; there is one that is of compact 

 growth in flesh and has its joints close together ; 



* yivfdOai add. Sell.; *o<n- yiveaOai 5e icad' ft UMVP ; so 

 Aid. , but Ka&' hv. 



' avafi[ay(Tai : ? a.vau.iayr\Tai ; c/. Plut. Sttll. I.e. 

 « Plin. 16. 164-167 ; Diosc. 1. 85. 



375 



