BOOK XVI. XXXI. 76-xxxiii. 80 



round bushy shape, and having a silvery leaf, also 

 disHkes -svater. Willows, alders, poplars, the siler" 

 and the privet,the last extremely useful for making 

 talHes, will only grow in places where there is water, 

 and the same is the case M'ith the whortleberry,^ 

 grown in bird-snares in Italy, but in Gaul also to 

 supply purple dye for slaves' clothes. All the trees 

 that are common to the mountains and the plains 

 grow larger and fmer to look at when in flat country, 

 but those on the mountains grow better fruit and 

 make timber ^\ath a wavier grain, excepting the 

 apples and pears. 



XXXII. Beside this, some trees shed their leaves wudand 

 but others are evergreen — although before this differ- '^esT'^ 

 ence another one has to be mentioned first : some 



trees are entirely wild, but some being more civiUzed 

 — as these are the accepted names by which they are 

 distinguished : the latter, kindly trees which render 

 more humane aid by their fruit or some other 

 property and by affording shade, may not im- 

 properly be called ' civiUzed.' 



XXXIII. The trees of the latter class that do not Evergreen 

 shed their leaves are the ohve, laurel, palm, mjTtle, ""^"* 

 cypress, the pines, ivy, oleander and savin — though 



the last may be called a herbaceous plant. The 

 oleander, as is shown by its name,<^ comes from 

 the Greeks (another Greek name given it being 

 nerion, and another * rose-laurel ') ; it is an evergreen 

 that resembles a rose-tree, and throws out shoots 

 from the stems ; it is poisonous for cattle and for 

 goats and sheep, but for man it serves as an antidote 

 against the poisons of snakes. 



Trees of the forest class that do not shed their 

 leaves are the fir, larch, wild pine, juniper, cedar, 



439 



