BOOK XVI. Lxi. 143-LX11. 146 



laser first grew therc, as we shall say in the section 

 deahng with herbaceuus plants. Also near that xix. 41. 

 city a shower of thick, pitchy rain caused a wood to 

 grow up. 



LXII. It is said that ivy now grows in Asia/ry, «5 

 Minor. Theophrastus about 314 b.c. had stated that '^»^'"^"'*'^- 

 it did not grow there, nor yet in India except on 

 Mount Meros, and indeed that Harpalus had used 

 every effort to grow it in Media without success, while 

 Alexander had come back victorious from India with 

 his army wearing wreaths of ivy, because of its 

 rarity, in imitation of Father Liber ; and it is even 

 now used at solemn festivals among the peoples of 

 Thrace to decorate the wands of that god, and also the 

 worshippers' helmets and shields, although it is 

 injurious to all trees and plants and destructive to 

 tombs and walls, and very agreeable to chilly snakes, 

 so that it is surprising that any honour has been 

 paid to it. 



There are two primary kinds of ivy, as of the rest y^^fties 

 of the plants, the male and the female. The male *^' 

 is said to have the larger stem and leaf, Mhich also 

 are harder and have more sap, and so it also has a 

 larger flower, approaching purple in colour ; but the 

 flower of both male and female resembles the wild 

 rose, except that it has no scent. These kinds each 

 comprise three species, for ivy is white or black and a 

 third species is called heUx. Moreover these species 

 divide into others, since one kind only has white 

 fruit but another has a white leaf as well ; also in 

 some of those bearing white fruit the berry is closely 

 packed and rather large, hanging in round bunches 

 which are called ' clusters,' and also Silenici when the 

 berry is smaller and the bunch less compact — as 



483 



