BOOK XIII. XXXII. iio-xxxv. 114 



in water or roasted in the ashes. Its peelings are 

 more useful than any other fodder for fattening pigs. 



XXXIII. The region of thc Cyrenaica ranks the ChnsVs- 

 lotus below its own Christ's-thorn. This is more iripj^l^ '"' 

 the nature of a shrub, and its fruit is redder, and con- ^ranate. 

 tains a kernel that is eaten by itself, as it is agreeable 

 alone ; it is improved by being dipped in wine, and 

 moreover its juice improves wine. The interior of 

 Africa as far as the Garamantes and the desert is 

 covered with pahiis remarkable for their size and 

 their luscious fruit, the most celebrated being in the 

 neighbourhood of the temple of Ammon, XXXIV. 

 But the country in the neighbourhood of Carthage 

 claims by the name of Punic apple what some call 

 the pomegranate ; this it has also split up into classes, 

 by giving the name of apyrenum ^ to the variety that 

 lacks a woody kernel: the consistency of this is 

 whiter than that of the others, and its pips have a 

 more agreeable taste and the membranes enclosing 

 them are not so bitter ; but in other respects these 

 apples have a special structure resembling the cells 

 in a honeycomb, which is common to all that have a 

 kernel. Of these there are five kinds, the sweet, the 

 sour, the mixed, the acid and the vinous ; those of 

 Samos and of Egypt are divided into the red-Ieaved 

 and the white-leaved varieties. The skin of the 

 unripe fruit is specially used for dressing leather. 

 The flower is called balaustium, and is serviceable for 

 doctors and also for dyeing cloth ; it has given its 

 name to a special colour.* 



XXXV. Shrubs growing in Asia and Greece are the other shmbs 

 epicactis, which others call emboline, with small leaves " "^^^' 

 which taken in drink are an antidote against poisons, 

 as those of the heath are against snakes, and the 



165 



