BOOK XIII. VII. 29-33 



noose goes up with the man at an astonishingly rapid 

 speed. AU the foliage is at the top of the tree, and 

 so is the fruit, which is not among the leaves as in 

 all other trees, but hanging in bunches from shoots 

 of its own between the branches, and which has the 

 nature of both a cluster and a single fruit. The 

 lcaves have a knife-Hke edge at the sides and are 

 divided into two flanges that fold together ; they 

 first suggested folding tablets for writing, but at the 

 present day they are spHt up to make ropes and 

 plaited wicker-work and parasols. 



The most devoted students of nature report that Sexofpaims. 

 trees, or rather indeed all the products of the earth fr^^^f^!^ 

 and even grasses, are of both sexes, a fact which it 

 may at this place be sufficient to state in general 

 terms, although in no trees is it more manifest than 

 in the palm. A male palm forms a blossom on the 

 shoot, whereas a female merely forms a bud Hke an 

 ear of corn, without going on to blossom. In both 

 male and female, however, the flesh of the fruit forms 

 first and the woody core afterwards ; this is the seed 

 of the tree — which is proved by the fact that smaH 

 fruits without any core are found on the same shoot. 

 The seed is oblong in shape and not rounded like an 

 oHve-stone, and also it is spHt at the back by a bulging 

 cleft, and in most cases shaped Hke a navel at the 

 middle of the bulge : it is from here that the root first 

 spreads out. In planting the seed is laid front-side 

 downward, and a pair of seeds are placed close to- 

 gether with two more above them, since a single seed 

 produces a weak plant, but the four shoots unite in 

 one strong growth. This woody core is divided from 

 the fleshy parts by a number of white coats, others 

 cHnging closely to its body ; and it is loose and separ- 



117 



