BOOK XIX. xni. 37-xv. 40 



brought down seed from Tiara : that is the place 

 where most grow. The most famous Asiatic truffles 

 grow round Lampsacus and Alopeconnesus, and the 

 most famous Greek ones in the district of Elis. 



XIV. The fungus class also includes those called by 

 the Greeks pezicae, which grow without root or stalk. 



XV. Next after these we will speak about laser- sUpMu 

 wort," a remarkably important plant, the Greek 

 namc for which is silphium ; it was originally found 



in the province of Cyrenaica. Its juice is called laser, 

 and it takes an important place in general use and 

 among drugs, and is sold forits weight in silverdenarii. 

 It has not been found in that country now for many 

 years, because the tax-farmers who rent the pasturage 

 strip it clean by grazing sheep on it, reaUzing that 

 they make more profit in that way. Only a single 

 stalk has been found thcre within our memory, which 

 was sent to the Emperor Nero. If a grazing flock ever 

 chances to come on a promising young shoot, this is 

 detected by the indication that a sheep after eating it 

 at once goes to sleep and a goat has a fit of sneezing. 

 And for a long time now no laserwort has been 

 imported to us except what grows in Persia or Media 

 and Armenia, in abundant quantity but much inferior 

 quality to that of Cyrenaica, and even so adult^rated 

 with gum, sacopenium, or with crushed beans ; this 

 makes it even more necessary for us not to omit to 

 state the facts that in the consulship of Gaius 

 Valerius and Marcus Herennius, 30 pounds of »3 b.o. 

 laserwort plant was imported to Rome by the 

 government, and that during the dictatorship of 

 Caesar, at the beginning of the civil war he produced ^^ ^*'- 

 out of the treasury together with gold and silver 

 15(XJ Ibs. of laserwort plant. 



445 



