THE ORIENTAL PLANE. 349 



at Brahan Castle : healthy specimens in the neighbourhood 

 of Edinburgh are also mentioned, and in Ireland it seems 

 to grow vigorously, and at as rapid a rate of increase as 

 it does in England. 



The Oriental Plane is indigenous to Greece, and other 

 parts of the Levant, and is also a native of Persia, ex- 

 tending, according to Royle,* as far south as Cashmere ; 

 it is also found in Asia Minor. Being a tree of no great 

 power of occupancy it is rarely found in numbers together 

 or forest-like, but usually growing single or in detached 

 groups, and, as it requires a deep, rich, and rather moist 

 soil to attain its full developement, is always found of 

 the greatest magnitude upon rich, alluvial plains, and in 

 the vicinity of running water. Such were the situations 

 where those enormous Plane trees grew mentioned in the 

 earliest records of Greece, one of which, as we learn from 

 Herodotus,"^ so delighted Xerxes, when he invaded Greece, 

 by its colossal form and shade, that he encircled it with 

 a collar of gold and committed it to the especial care of 

 one of the ten thousand. To this account, Elian adds, 

 that an entire day was spent by Xerxes beneath its shade, 

 a delay of portentous consequence to Greece, as it was one 

 among other causes that contributed to the subsequent 

 defeat of the mighty armament of the Persian king. 

 Another Plane, remarkable for its size and beauty, which 

 grew in Arcadia and was said to have been planted by 

 the husband of Helen, is recorded by Pausanias, who saw 

 it when it was supposed to be one thousand three hundred 

 years old. Pliny, also, mentions that, in his time, a 

 Plane tree was shown in Phrygia, against which the inha- 

 bitants affirmed Marsyas was suspended when flayed by 



* See Royle 's illustrations. 



f Herod, Bib. h ■zoXbfjt.via., sec. 31. 



