BOOK XIX. XXVII. 88-\.\ix. 91 



kind belonging to Greece that is grown from a root 

 or from seed set at the beginning of spring or else in 

 autumn, according to Hyginus, in February or in 

 August or September or October, the ground having 

 been dug over as deeply as possible. A root onlv a 

 year old begins to be serviceable, but a two year old 

 plant is more valuable ; it is more agreeable in autumn, 

 and especially for boiUng in saucepans, and even so it 

 has a pungency that cannot be got rid of. The 

 marsh-mallow differs from the parsnip in being of a 

 more slender shape ; it is condemned as an article 

 of diet, but is useful for medical purposes. There is 

 also a fourth kind of plant that bears tlie same 

 resemblance to a parsnip, which our people call the 

 Gallic parsnip, but the Greeks, who have subdividcd 

 it also into four classes, call daucos'; this will have xxv. 110. 

 to be mentioned among the medicinal plants. 



XXVTII. The skirret'' also has been advertised by nkinei. 

 the emperorTiberius's requisitioningan annual siipply 

 of it from Gemiany. There is a castle on the Rhine 

 called Gelb where a speciallv fine kind of skirret 

 grows, showing that cold locahlies suit it. It con- 

 tains a core running through its whole length, which 

 is drawn out when it has been boiled, though never- 

 theless a great part of its bitterness remains, which 

 when it is used as a food is modified by adchng wine 

 sweetened with honey,and is actually turned into an 

 attraction. The larger parsnip also contains a core of 

 the same kind, though only wlien it is a year old. The 

 time for sowing skirrct is in the months of Fcbruary, 

 March, April, August, September and October. 



XXIX. Elecampane is shorter and more substantial Ehcampane. 

 than the roots described, and also more bitter ; eaten 

 by itself it disagrees violently with the stomach, but 



479 



