Theophrastus: Enquiry into Plants (Books 6-9). Treatise on Odours. Concerning Weather Signs [2] 0674990889, 9780674990883

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THE LOEB CLASSICAL LIBRARY EDITED BY E.

CAPPS

PH.D., LL.D.

T. E.

PAGE,

Lirr.D.

W. H. D. ROUSE, LiTT.D.

THEOPHRASTUS ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS II

THEOPHRASTUS ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS AND MINOR WORKS ON ODOURS AND WEATHER SIGNS WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY

SIR

ARTHUR HORT,

BART., M.A.

FORMERLY FELLOW OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE

IN

TWO VOLUMES II

LONDON

:

NEW YORK

WILLIAM HEINEMANN :

G. P.

MCMXVI

PUTNAM'S SONS

PA

CONTENTS BOOK VI OF UNDER-SHRUBS PAGE

Of the

under-shrubs the wild kinds the chief distinction that between spinous and classification of

:

:

3

spineless

Of spineless under-shrubs and their differences .... Of certain specially important spineless under-shrubs silphium and magydaris belonging to ferula-like

7

15

plants

Of spinous under-shrubs and their differences Of cultivated under-shrubs (coronary plants), with which are included those coronary plants which are herbaceous Of the seasons at which coronary plants flower, and of the length of their

35 49

life

BOOK

21

VII

OF HERBACEOUS PLANTS, OTHER

THAN CORONARY PLANTS

:

POT-HBRBS AND SIMILAR WILD HERBS Of the times of sowing and of germination of pot-herbs Of the propagation of pot-herbs, and of differences in their roots

Of Of Of Of Of Of

59 67

the flowers and fruits of pot-herbs the various forms of some pot-herbs the cultivation of pot-herbs ; manure and water the pests which infest pot-herbs the time for which seed of pot-herbs can be kept uncultivated herbs the wild forms of pot-herbs :

75 81 .

.

.

.

93 95

.

.

97 99

CONTENTS PA UK

Of other uncultivated herbs, which may be classed with 103

pot-herbs

Of the differences

in

stem and

leaf

found in

all

herba-

ceous plants

107

Of other differences seen in herbaceous plants in general, as compared with one another and with trees ... Of the seasons at which herbs grow and flower .... Of the classes into which herbaceous plants may be divided, as those having a spike and chicory-like

Ill

115

119

plants

Of herbs which have fleshy or bulbous roots Of certain properties and habits peculiar to certain herbaceous plants

125 135

BOOK OF HERBACEOUS PLANTS:

VIII

CEREALS, PULSES, AND 'SUMMER CROPS '

Of the three classes and the times

of

sowing and of 143

germination

Of differences in the mode of germination and of subsequent development Of differences in development due to soil or climate Of differences between the parts of cereals, pulses, and .

Of Of Of Of Of Of Of Of

149 155

summer crops respectively the differences between cereals

159

the differences between pulses

173

sowing, manuring, and watering the degeneration of cereals into darnel

177

the peculiar character of chick-pea

183

165

183

' special features of summer crops treatment of cereals peculiar to special localities '

cereals

185 .

.

185

which grow a second time from the same

stock

Of the effects of climate, soil, and manuring Of different qualities of seed vi

.

'.

.

.

.

187 189 191

CONTENTS PAGE

Of degeneration of

cereals,

and

of the

weeds which 193

infest particular crops

Of the conditions in the seeds of pulses known ascookable and uncookable,' and their causes Of the grains and pulses which most exhaust the soil, or which improve it Of the diseases of cereals and pulses, and of hurtful winds Of seeds which keep or do not keep well Of the age at which seeds should be sown Of artificial means of preserving seed Of the effect of heat on seeds Of certain peculiarities of the seed of lupin and aigilops '

'

'

.

.

197 199

201

205 209 211 211 213

BOOK IX OF THE JUICES OF PLANTS, AND OF THE MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF HERBS

Of the various kinds of plant-juices and the methods of collecting

them

217

Of resinous trees and the methods of collecting resin and pitch Of the making of pitch in Macedonia and in Syria Of frankincense and myrrh various accounts .... Of cinnamon and cassia various accounts Of balsam of Mecca Of other aromatic plants all oriental, except the iris Of the medicinal juices of plants and the collection of them general account Of the cutting of roots for medicinal purposes, and of certain superstitions connected therewith .... Of the medicinal uses of divers parts of plants .... Of hellebores, the white and the black their uses and .

.

.

:

:

.

:

223 229 233 243 245 247 251

255 261

:

distribution

Of the various kinds of all-heal Of the various plants called stryTchnos Of the various kinds of tithymallos

265 269 271

275 vii

CONTENTS PAGE

Of Of Of Of Of

the two herbs called libanotis the two kinds of chamaeleon '

'

the various plants called poppy roots possessing remarkable taste or smell the time for which roots can be kept without losing their virtue

Of the localities which specially produce medicinal herbs Of the medicinal herbs peculiar to Crete Of wolf's- bane and its habitat, and of meadow-saffron Of two famous druggists and of the virtues of hemlock How use diminishes the efficacy of drugs, and how they have not the same effect on all constitutions .

.

.

Of plants that

possess

properties

affecting

305 309

affect

animals other than 309

.

Of plants possessing properties which affect the mental powers Of plants said to have magical properties

A problem

287 289 295 299 303

lifeless

objects

Of plants whose properties

man

277 277 279 281

as to cause

and

effect

311

313 313

Of certain plants, not yet mentioned, which possess 315

special properties

MINOR WORKS INTRODUCTION TO THE TREATISES CONCERNING ODOURS AND CONCERNING WEATHER SIGNS

Introductory cation of

:

CONCERNING ODOURS in general and the

Of odours

324

classifi-

them

327

Of natural odours of those of animals and of the effect of odours on animals Of smell and taste Of odours in plants Of artificial odours in general and their manufacture especially of the use of perfumes in wine ;

329 331

333

:

viii

333

CONTENTS Of the oils used as the vehicle of perfumes Of the spices used in making perfumes and their

PAGE 341 treat-

ment

347

Of the various parts

of plants used for perfumes, the composition of various notable perfumes the properties of various spices

and

of

...

351

Of Of the medicinal properties of certain perfumes .... Of rules for the mixture of spices, and of the storing of various perfumes Of the properties of certain perfumes Of other properties and peculiarities of perfumes Of the making of perfume -powders and compound perfumes Of the characteristic smells of animals, and of certain curious facts as to the smell of animal and vegetable products Of odours as compared with other sense-impressions

355 359

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

361

365

373 377

381

383

CONCERNING WEATHER SIGNS Introductory

The The The

:

general principles

signs of rain signs of wind

391

.

Miscellaneous signs

397 407 427 431

INDEX OF PLANTS

435

.

.

signs of fair weather

KEY TO THE INDEX I.

List of plants mentioned in the Enquiry under ". botanical names .

II.

List of plants mentioned in the Enquiry

popular names

.

.

487

unde 494

ix

THEOPHRASTUS ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS BOOK VI

VOL.

II

3>TTnN I2TOPIA2

IIEPI

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Sch.

ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS,

VI.

2-3

i.

cabbage rue and others perhaps more appropriate to speak under their proper designation, that is, when we come to make mention of coronary plants and pot-herbs. Now let us first speak of the wild kinds. Of these are several classes and subdivisions, which we must distinguish by the characteristics of each sub-division as well as by those of each class taken as a whole. 1 also

pot-herbs,

such

Of

these

them.

like

as

it is

The most important

difference distinguishing class

which one could find is that between the and the spinous kinds. Again under each spineless of these two heads there are many differences distinguishing kinds and forms, of which we must endeavour to speak severally. 2 Of spinous kinds some just consist of spines, as for these have no leaves asparagus and skorpios from

class

;

except their spines. Then there are the spinousleaved plants, as thistle eryngo safflower these and the like have their spines on the leaves, whence Others again have leaves as well as their name. ;

their spines, as rest-harrow caltrop some call stoibe. Caltrop is also

having spines on the

and pheos? which 4

spinous-fruited,

Wherefore this from almost all other plants though many trees and shrubs have spines on the shoots, as wild pear pomegranate Christ's thorn bramble rose caper. Such 5 are the general distinctions which may be made among spinous plants. peculiarity

marks

fruit-vessel.

it off

;

e?8ev\\ov /cal fjia\a/cbv /cal Tro^vo-^iBes, ware elvai cr^eBbv

rpixwBe?'

e'xei

Be

/neyicrra

rd

/cdrco

TT/JO?

rrjv

del /card \6yov. dvBos Be dfjiavpov, Kaprrov Be Trapo/Jioiov r&> yijv /cal

ei Aid.; aSpvvci conj. W. similar use 6. 2. 4. 2 contra bestiarum morsus Plin. I.e.

3 4

12

But

cf.

the somewhat

Plin. 13. 132 and 133. The form of expression in the repeated inrep

seems

loose,

ENQUIRY INTO PLANTS, and

Arcturus

The

full

is

smell of the

'

male

plant

'

6-8

11.

1

after his setting. strong, but that of wherefore both of them

grown '

VI.

is

the ' female more pungent are of use against wild beasts. 2 These plants then and others like them have, as it were, different forms. Again there are some which have but one form both among those already mentioned and others as well;; for there are numerous plants of this class. 8 The class of ferula-like plants (for this too belongs to the under-shrubs) comprises many kinds here we must first speak of the characteristic which is ;

:

common

4 all, including ferula itself (nartkex) and whether they both belong to the same kind and differ only in size, or whether, as some say,

to

narthekia,

they are distinct. The obvious character of both is except as to size for narthex grows very tall, Each of them has a while narthekia is a small plant. from this spring the single stalk, which is jointed leaves and some small stalks the leaves come alternately by which I mean that they do not spring from the same part of the joint, but in For a considerable distance they alternating rows. embrace the stalk, like the leaves of the reed, but they turn back from it more owing to their softness and their size for the leaf is large soft and much divided, so that it is almost hair-like ; the largest leaves are the lowest ones next the ground, and so alike,

;

;

;

;

The flower is quince-yellow and 6 7 The inconspicuous, the fruit like dill, but larger. and above ev ols is hardly satisfactory. Sch. suspects on

5

in proportion.

corruption. 6

/j.i]\ivoei8es

:

cf. 7. 3.

1.

tt

Kapirbv 8e conj. Sell.; a/j.a.vp6Kapiroi> Aid. 7 /*t'a> conj. Sch.; /JLetfrv Aid. u./u.avp6i>,

13

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