BOOK XXI. xviii. 37-xix. 40 



Watery " flowers have perfurne iiot altogether in- 

 dependent of the essential juice, the violet for 

 instance, the rose and the saffron ; moreover, 

 watery flowers without this juice always have an 

 oppressive perfume, for example, both kinds of hly. 

 Southernwood and sAveet marjoram have pungent 

 scents. Of some plants the flowers only are pleasant, 

 the other parts being scentless, for example, those 

 of the violet and of the rose. Of garden plants the 

 strongest-scented are those that are dry, like rue, 

 mint and parsley, and such as grow on dry soils. 

 Some products have more scent when old, for 

 example the quince, and these same have more when 

 gathered than when growing in the ground. Some 

 liave scent only w hen broken or after being crushed, 

 others only when the skin or bark has been stripped 

 off, others indeed only when burnt, for example, 

 frankincense and myrrh. Crushed flowers are all 

 more bitter than when unbroken. A few, such as 

 the meHlot, keep their scent longer when dried. 

 Some impart a scent to the place itself, as does the 

 iris, which also affects the whole of any tree. the 

 roots of which it happens to touch.'' The hesperis <^ 

 has a stronger scent at night, from which fact it 

 gets its name. No animal has a smell, unless we 

 believe what has been said about the panther. 



XIX. This distinction too must not be forgotten, 

 that many flowers, in spite of their perfume, are of 

 no use for chaplets, for example, the iris and Celtic 

 nard, although both have an exquisite perfume. 

 But the iris is valued only for its root, being grown 



' Supposed to be Hesperis tristis Linn., one of the " gilli- 

 flowers," Matthiola tristis, night-scentecl stock. 



