§1.4.9Λάχανα δέ εἰσι τὰ ἔχοντα πολλοὺς φιτροὺς ἐκ d μιᾶς ῥίζης καὶ πολλοὺς κλάδους, ὡς τὸ πήγανον, αἱ κράμβαι καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα.
And vegetables are those which have many trunks from a single root and many branches, like rue, cabbages, and the like.
Εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ βοτάναι αἵτινες οὐκ ἔχουσι φιτρὸν ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας ῥίζης, ἀλλὰ παραυτίκα φέρουσι φύλλα.
And there are also herbs which do not have a trunk from their own root, but immediately bear leaves.
§1.4.10Καὶ τινὰ μὲν κατὰ πάν ἔτος γεννῶνται καὶ ξηραίνονται, ὡς σῖτος καὶ τὰ παραπλήσια, τινὰ δ’ οὔ.
And some indeed are generated and dry up every year, like wheat and the like, but some are not.
Οὐ δυνάμεθα δὲ ταῦτα πάντα ἐπίστασθαι εἰ μὴ διὰ συλλογισμῶν καὶ παραδειγμάτων καὶ ὑπογραφῶν.
And we cannot understand all these things except through reasonings, examples, and descriptions.
Πάλιν εἰσὶ βοτάναι εἰς δύο ἄκρα κλίνουσαι, ὡς τὸ λεγόμενον λάχανον βασιλικόν.
Again, there are herbs inclining to both extremes, like the so-called royal vegetable.
§1.4.11Εἰσὶ δὲ ἄλλαι αἱ λεγόμεναι ἐν ταὐτῷ βοτάναι καὶ λάχανα· καί τινες ἄλλαι αἳ ἐν τῷ γεννάσθαι μὲν πρώτως φαίνονται ἐν σχήματι στάχυος, μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ γίνονται δένδρα, ὡς οἱ Ἀραβικοὶ βέντελοι καὶ τὸ φυτὸν τὸ λεγόμενον ἡλιοσκόπιον.
And there are others which are called at the same time herbs and vegetables; and certain others which, when they are first generated, appear in the form of an ear of corn, but after this they become trees, like the Arabian benteloi and the plant called helioskopion.
§1.4.12Μυρσίνη δὲ καὶ μηλέα καὶ ὄχνη καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὅμοια δένδρα εἰς τοῦτο τὸ γένος περιέχονται, ὦν πολλοὶ καὶ μάταιοί εἰσι κλάδοι, ἐκ τῶν ῥιζῶν αὐτῶν φυόμενοι.
And myrtle, apple, pear, and other similar trees are contained in this class, from the roots of which grow many and useless branches.
Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πρέπον προσδιορίζειν ταῦτα, ἵνα ὦσιν εἰς παράδειγμα καὶ συλλογισμόν· οὐ γὰρ ὀφείλομεν διερευνᾶν ὁρισμούς ἐν πᾶσι,
And for this reason it is fitting to define these things, so that they may serve for example and reasoning; for we ought not to investigate definitions in everything.
§1.4.13Πάλιν τῶν φυτῶν τὰ μέν εἰσὶ κατοικίδια, τὰ δὲ κηπαῖα, καὶ ἕτερα ἄγρια.
Again, of plants, some indeed are domestic, some garden, and others wild.
Τοιουτοτρόπως δὲ λέγομεν ὄχνας καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα εἴδη φυτῶν ἄγρια, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐξ ἐπιμελείας γεωργικῆς.
And in this manner we call pears and other such kinds of plants wild, because they are not from agricultural care.
Πάλιν τῶν φυτῶν τινὰ μὲν ποιοῦσι καρπόν, τινὰ δ’ οὔ, ὡς ἰτέαι καί τινα εἴδη δρυῶν.
Again, of plants, some indeed produce fruit, and some do not, like willows and some kinds of oaks.
§1.4.14Καὶ τινὰ μὲν ποιοῦσιν ἔλαιον, τινὰ δ’ οὐχί.
And some indeed produce oil, and some do not.
Καὶ τινὰ μὲν ποιοῦσι φύλλα, τινὰ δ’ οὔ.
And some indeed produce leaves, and some do not.
Καὶ τινῶν πίπτουσι τὰ φύλλα, τινῶν δ’ οὔ.
And of some indeed the leaves fall, and of some not.
Καὶ τισὶ μὲν γίνονται κλάδοι, τισὶ δ’ οὔ.
And to some indeed branches are produced, and to some not.
Περὶ διαφορᾶς γοῦν τῶν φυτῶν ἐν μεγέθει καὶ σμικρότητι, ἐν ὡραιότητι καὶ ἀμορφίᾳ, ἐν χρηστότητι καρπῶν καὶ κακίᾳ πολλὰ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν.
At any rate, concerning the difference of plants in size and smallness, in beauty and ugliness, in goodness of fruits and badness, there is much to say.
§1.4.15Πάλιν τὰ ἄγρια δένδρα μᾶλλον καρποφοροῦσι παρὰ τὰ κηπαῖα, καὶ οἱ καρποὶ τῶν κηπαίων κρείττονές εἰσι τῶν ἀγρίων.
Again, wild trees bear more fruit than garden ones, and the fruits of garden ones are better than those of wild ones.
Καὶ τινὰ μὲν τῶν φυτῶν γεννῶνται ἐν τόποις ξηροῖς, τινὰ δὲ ἐν θαλάσσῃ· καὶ τινὰ μὲν ἐν ποταμοῖς, ἄλλα δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάσσῃ· καὶ τινὰ ἐν τόποις μὲν ἄλλοις μεγάλα, ἐν ἑτέροις δὲ μικρά.
And some of the plants are generated in dry places, and some in the sea; and some indeed in rivers, and others in the Red Sea; and some indeed are large in some places, but small in others.
§1.4.16Καὶ τινὰ μὲν γεννῶνται ἐν ὄχθαις ποταμῶν, τινὰ δὲ ἐν λίμναις.
And some indeed are generated on the banks of rivers, and some in lakes.
Καὶ τῶν γεννωμένων ἐν τόποις ξηροῖς τινὰ μὲν γεννῶνται ἐν ὄρεσι, τινὰ δὲ ἐν πεδιάσι.
And of those generated in dry places, some indeed are generated in mountains, and some in plains.
Καὶ τινὰ ζῶσιν ἐν τόποις ξηροτάτοις, ὡς τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ τῶν Αἰθιόπων, καὶ ἐκεῖσε κρειττόνως αὐξάνουσι παρὸ ἀλλαχοῦ.
And some live in the driest places, like those in the land of the Ethiopians, and they grow better there than elsewhere.
§1.4.17Καὶ τινὰ μὲν ζῶσιν ἐν τόποις ὑψηλοῖς, τινὰ δὲ ἐν χθαμαλοῖς.
And some indeed live in high places, and some in low ones.
Καὶ τινὰ μὲν ζῶσιν ἐν τόποις ὑγροῖς, τινὰ δὲ ἐν ξηροῖς, τινὰ δὲ ἐν ἑκατέροις, ὡς ἡ ἰτέα.
And some indeed live in wet places, and some in dry, and some in both, like the willow.
Τὰ γοῦν φυτὰ κατὰ πολὺ ἐναλλάττονται τῇ διαφορᾷ τῶν τόπων, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν χρὴ κατανοεῖν καὶ τὰς διαφορὰς αὐτῶν.
At any rate, plants vary greatly by the difference of places, and from this one must understand also their differences.