BOOK XXV. Lxiv. iii-Lxvii. 114 



only if the soil is rich ; they have leaves Hke those of 

 coriander, a stem a cubit high, round heads, often 

 more than three, and a wood-Hke root, which when 

 dry is worthless. Its " seed is Uke that of cummin, 

 while that of the first kind is Uke millet, white, sharp, 

 and scented and hot in all kinds. The seed of the 

 second kind is more powerful than that of the first, and 

 for this reason should be used sparingly. If one reaUy 

 desires to add a third kind, there is one Uke staphy- 

 Unus, caUed wild carrot, wjth longish ^ seed and a 

 sweet root. A quadruped, summer and winter, 

 refuses to touch any of these plants except after 

 miscarriage. Of the Cretan kind the root is used, 

 chiefly for snake bites, of the other kinds the seed. 

 The dose is one drachma taken in wine ; it is given 

 also to quadrupeds that have been bitten. 



LXV. There is a therionarca, different from the Tkerionarca 

 magical plant,"^ that grows in our part of the workl, 

 a bushy plant with greenish leaves, a rose-coloured 

 flower, and fatal to serpents. This plant too '^ 

 benumbs any kind of wild creature it touches. 



LX\T. Persolata, a plant everybody knows, is caUed Persoiata, 01 

 by the Greeks arcion ; it has leaves larger, more 

 hairy, darker and thicker even than those of a gourd, 

 and a white, large root. This is taken in wine, the 

 dose being two denarii by weight. LXVII. The root Cydameu. | 

 of cyclamen also is beneficial for the bites of any 

 kind of snake. The plant has smaUer, darker and 

 thinner leaves than those of ivy, with no corners but 



^ Or " oblong." 



' Mentioned in XXIV. § 163 as growing in Cappadocia and 

 Mysia. 



^ As well as the one mentioned in the other passage. 



219 



