BOOK XVI. Lxii. 151-Lxiir. 154 



it is the white ivy that kills trees, and by taking from 

 them all their sap grows so thick a stalk as itself to 

 become a tree. Its characteristics are very large, 

 very broad leaves, fat stiff buds, which in the other 

 kinds are bent, and clusters standing up erect ; and 

 although in every kind of ivy the arms take root, 

 yet this kind has the most spreading and powerful 

 arms, those of the black ivy coming next. But it is a 

 pecuUarity of the white ivy that it throws out arms 

 among the middle of its leaves, with which it always 

 embraces things on either side, this being the case 

 even on walls, although it is unable to go round them. 

 Consequently even though it is cut apart at several 

 places nevertheless it Hves and lasts on, and it has 

 as many points to strike root with as it has arms, 

 which make it safe and solid while it sucks and 

 strangles trees. There is also a difference in the 

 fruit of the white and the black ivy, since in some 

 cases it is so bitter that birds will not touch it. 

 There is also a stiff ivy, which is the only kind that standing 

 will stand without a prop, and which consequently '^"y»^. 

 has the name in (jrreek ot straight ivy ; while on 

 the other hand the one called in Greek * ground- 

 ivy ' is never found except creeping on the ground. 



LXIII. Resembling ivy is the plant called smilax,*^ smiiax. 

 which first came from Cilicia, but is now more 

 common in Greece ; it has thick jointed stalks and 

 thorny branches that make it a kind of shrub ; the 

 leaf resembles that of the ivy, but is small and has 

 no corners, and throws out tendrils from its stalk ; 

 the flower is white and has the scent of a Hly. It bears 

 clusters of berries Uke those of the \\\\d vine, not of the 

 ivy ; they are red in colour, and the larger ones en- 

 close three hard black stones but the smaUer a single 



487 



