Chap, ea.] 
THE lYT. 
401 
it is known as the ivy of Nysa, by others as that of Eacchiis 
it is the one that among the black varieties has the largest 
clusters of all. Some of the Greek writers even distinguish 
in this last kind two varieties, according to the colour of the 
berries, the erythranum^* and the chrysocarpus.^^ 
It is the helix, however, that has the most peculiarities of 
all, and in the appearance of the leaf more particularly, which 
is small, angular, and of a more elegant shape, the leaf in all 
the other kinds being plain and simple. It differs, too, in the 
distance between the joints, and in being barren more espe- 
ciallj^, as itneverbearsfru.it. Some authors, however, think 
that this difference exists solely in respect of age and not of 
kind, and are of opinion that what is the helix when young, 
becomes the ordinary ivy when old. This, however, is clearly 
proved to be an error upon their part, for we find more varieties 
of the helix than one, and three in particular — that of a grass- 
green colour, which is the most abundant of all, the kind with 
a white leaf, and a third, which is parti-coloured, and known 
as the Thracian helix. In that of a grass-green colour, the 
leaves are smaller, more closely packed together, and symmetri- 
cally arranged ; while in the other kinds the features are alto- 
gether different. In the parti-coloured kind, also, one variety 
has a smaller leaf than usual, similarly arranged, and lying 
closer together, while in the other none of these features are 
observed. The leaves, too, are either greater or smaller and 
differ in the disposition of the spots upon them, and in the 
white helix some of them are whiter than others : the grass- 
green variety, however, is the one that grows to the greatest 
height. 
The white helix is in the habit of killing trees by depriving 
them of their juices, and increases to such a degree of density 
as to be quite a tree itself. Its characteristics are, a very 
large, broad, leaf, and projecting buds, which in all the other 
kinds are bent inwards; its clusters, too, stand out erect. 
Although, too, all the ivies have arms that throw out a root, 
those of this variety are particularly branchy and strong ; next 
to it in strength, are those of the black ivy. 
13 See B. V. c. 16, and B. vi. c. 23. 
The " red berry" and the " golden fruit." 
-5 The berries are yellow in the first variety of the common ivy, the 
Hedera poetica of C. BauMn. 
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