§1.7.1Πάλιν τῶν φυτῶν τινὰ μεταλλάττονται, ὡς φασίν, εἰς ἄλλο εἶδος, ὡς ἡ καρύα, ὅταν γηράσῃ.
Again, some of the plants change, as they say, into another species, as the walnut tree when it grows old.
Λέγουσι πάλιν ὡς ἡ καλαμίνθη μεταβάλλεται εἰς ἡδύοσμον· καὶ τὸ τράγιον δὲ τμηθὲν καὶ φυτευθὲν παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τυχὸν ἔσται σισύμβριον.
They say again that calamintha changes into sweet mint; and tragium also, if cut and planted near the sea, will perhaps become sisymbrium.
Φασὶ πάλιν ὡς ὁ σῖτος καὶ τὸ λίνον μεταβάλλονται εἰς ἕτερον εἶδος, §1.7.2Βελένιον δὲ τὸ δηλητηριῶδες, τὸ γινόμενον ἐν τῇ Περσίδι, μεταφυτευόμενον ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ ἢ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ γίνεται βρώσιμον.
They say again that wheat and flax change into another species, and the poisonous belenion which grows in Persia, when transplanted into Egypt or Palestine, becomes edible.
Ὡσαύτως ἀμυγδαλῆ καὶ ῥοιὰ μεταβάλλονται ἀπὸ τῆς ἰδίας κακίας διὰ γεηπονίαν εἰς τὸ χρηστότερον.
Likewise, the almond and the pomegranate change from their own badness through agriculture into something better.
§1.7.3Ἀλλ’ αἱ ῥοιαὶ μὲν χοιρείας κόπρου ἐμβεβλημένης ταῖς ῥίζαις, καὶ δι’ ὕδατος γλυκέος καὶ ψυχροῦ ποτιζόμεναι βελτιοῦνται· ἀμυγδαλαῖ δὲ ἥλων ἐμπηγνυμένων αὐταῖς, καὶ κόμεος διὰ πολλοῦ κάρου ἐντεῦθεν ἐκβαλλομένου.
Namely, pomegranates are improved when pig dung is applied to their roots, and when they are watered with sweet and cold water; whereas almonds [are improved] when nails are driven into them, and many secretions are ejected thence with a state of torpor.
Πολλὰ δὲ φυτὰ ἄγρια διὰ ταύτης τῆς ἐπιτεχνήσεως γίνονται κηπαῖα.
And many wild plants through this artifice become cultivated.
§1.7.4Τόπος δὲ καὶ γεηπονία σφόδρα τούτοις συμβάλλονται, καὶ μᾶλλον ὁ τοῦ ἔτους καιρός, οὗ χρῄζουσι μᾶλλον οἱ φυτευταί, Πάλιν τῶν φυτῶν τὰ πλείονα φυτεύονται ἐν ἔαρι, ὀλίγα ἐν χειμῶνι καὶ φθινοπώρῳ, καὶ ὀλίγιστα ἐν θέρει μετὰ τὴν ἐπιτολὴν τοῦ κυνάστρου.
Place and agriculture contribute greatly to these, and still more the season of the year, which the planters need more. Again, most of the plants are planted in spring, a few in winter and autumn, and the fewest in summer after the rising of the dog-star.
§1.7.5Ἐν ὀλίγοις δὲ τόποις γίνεται ἡ τοιαύτη φυτεία, καὶ οὐδέποτε γίνεται εἰ μὴ ἀραιός, ὡς ἐν τῇ Ρώμῃ κατὰ τήνδε τὴν ὥραν.
And such planting occurs in few places, and never occurs except rarely, as in Rome at this season.
Ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ δὲ οὐ γίνεται ἡ φυτεία εἰ μὴ ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, Πάλιν τινὰ τῶν φυτῶν ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων ῥιζῶν φύλλα προβάλλονται, τινὰ ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων κομέων ἢ ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων ξύλων. §1.7.6Καὶ τινὰ μὲν πλησίον τῆς γῆς, τινὰ δὲ πόρρω, τινὰ ἐν μέσῳ.
But in Egypt planting occurs only once a year. Again, some of the plants put forth leaves from their own roots, some from their own tops, or from their own wood, and some near the earth, some far, some in the middle.
Καὶ τινὰ μὲν ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ καρποφοροῦσι, τινὰ δὲ πλειστάκις, ἀλλ’ οὐ πεπαίνονται οἱ καρποὶ αὐτῶν, ἀπομένουσι δὲ ὠμοί, §1.7.7Καὶ τινὰ δένδρα εἰσὶν εὔφορα διὰ πολλῶν χρόνων, ὡς αἱ συκαῖ· τινὰ ἐν ἑνὶ καρποφοροῦσιν ἔτει, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἑτέρῳ ἀνακτῶνται ἑαυτά, ὡς αἱ ἐλαῖαι πολλοὺς κλάδους προβαλλόμεναι, οἷς καὶ περικαλύπτονται.
And some indeed bear fruit once a year, and some very often, but their fruits do not ripen, but remain green; and some trees are fruitful for many years, like figs; some bear fruit in one year, and in the other recover themselves, like olives putting forth many branches, with which they also cover themselves.
Καὶ τινὰ μὲν τῶν φυτῶν εὐφορώτερά εἰσιν ἐν γήρᾳ, τινὰ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου μᾶλλον καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν νεότητι, ὡς ἀμυγδαλαῖ καὶ ὄχναι καὶ αἴγειροι.
And some of the plants are more fruitful in old age, but some, on the contrary, bear fruit more in youth, like almonds, pears, and black poplars.
§1.7.8Ἡ διαφορὰ δὲ τῶν φυτῶν τῶν ἀγρίαν καὶ τῶν κηπαίων διακρίνεται δι’ ἀρρένων καὶ θηλέων, ὁπόταν ἕκαστον αὐτῶν γνωρισθείη διὰ τῶν ἰδιωμάτων τῶν εὑρισκομένων ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἄρρεν ἐστὶ πυκνότερον σκληρότερον καὶ πολυκλονώτερον, ἧττον ὑγρόν, καὶ ταχύτερον εἰς πέπανσιν, καὶ φύλλα ἔχον διάφορα καὶ παραφυάδας.
And the difference between wild and cultivated plants is distinguished by male and female, whenever each of them is recognized through the properties found in them, because the male is denser, harder, has more branches, is less moist, faster to ripen, and has different leaves and shoots.
Τὸ δὲ θῆλυ ἐπ’ ἔλαττον ἔχει ταῦτα.
But the female has these to a lesser degree.
§1.7.9Δεῖ τοίνυν, ὅταν κατανοήσωμεν ταῦτα, πάλιν στοχάσασθαι πῶς ἂν γνοίημεν τὰ δένδρα καθ’ αὐτὰ καὶ τὰ γένη καθ’ αὐτά.
Therefore, when we have understood these things, we must again aim at how we may know the trees by themselves and the genera by themselves.
Καὶ περὶ τῶν βοτανῶν ὡσαύτως, πῶς ἂν κατανοήσωμεν ἃ εἶπον οἱ παλαιοί.
And likewise concerning herbs, how we may understand what the ancients said.
Πῶς;
How?
§1.7.10Ἐὰν ἐπιμελῶς σκοπήσωμεν τὰς βίβλους αὐτῶν, ἂς ἔγραψαν, καὶ δυνηθείημεν διερευνῆσαι τούτων τὸν μυελὸν ἐρεύνῃ συνοπτικῇ, καὶ γνωρίσαι βοτάνας τὰς ἐλαιώδεις καὶ βοτάνας τὰς σπέρμα μόνον ἐχούσας, καὶ τὰς βοήθειαν χορηγούσας, καὶ τὰς ἰατρικὰς καὶ τὰς φθοροποιούς.
If we diligently examine their books which they wrote, and are able to search out their marrow with a synoptic search, and to recognize oily herbs and herbs having seed only, and those providing help, and those medicinal, and those destructive.
Ὡσαύτως καὶ τὰ δένδρα μετὰ τῶν βοτανῶν.
Likewise also the trees along with the herbs.
§1.7.11Πρὸς δὲ τὸ μαθεῖν καὶ τὰς αἰτίας αὐτῶν ὀφείλομεν ζητῆσαι τὴν γένεσιν τούτων, πῶς τινὰ μὲν γεννῶνται ἐν τισὶ τόποις, ἐν ἄλλοις δ’ οὔ· ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὰς φυτείας αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς ῥίζας, καὶ τὰς διαφορὰς τῶν χυλῶν καὶ τῶν ὀδμῶν καὶ τοῦ γάλακτος καὶ τοῦ κόμεος, καὶ τὴν χρηστότητα καὶ τὴν κακίαν ἑκάστων, καὶ τὰς διαμονάς, πῶς τινῶν μὲν διαμένουσιν οἱ καρποὶ τινῶν δ’ οὔ, καὶ δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν τινῶν μὲν σήπονται συντόμως τινῶν δὲ βραδέως, ἐρευνῆσαί τε καὶ τὰς ἰδιότητας τῶν φυτῶν, καὶ μᾶλλον τῶν ῥιζῶν· καὶ πῶς τινῶν μὲν καρποὶ μαλθάσσονται, τινῶν δ’ οὔ· καὶ πῶς τινὲς ἀφροδίτην προκαλοῦνται, τινὲς δὲ ὕπνον, τινὲς δὲ καὶ διαφθείρουσι, καὶ πολλὰς ἄλλας διαφοράς·
And for the sake of learning also their causes, we ought to seek their generation, how some indeed are generated in certain places, and in others not; and further also their plantings and their roots, and the differences of juices, of odors, of milk, and of secretion, and the goodness and badness of each, and their durations, how indeed the fruits of some endure and of others not, and for what cause those of some rot quickly and of others slowly; and to search out also the properties of plants, and especially of roots; and how indeed the fruits of some soften, and of others not; and how some provoke passion, some sleep, and some even destroy, and many other differences; and how indeed the fruits of some produce milk, and of others not.
καὶ πῶς τινῶν μὲν οἱ καρποὶ ποιοῦσι γάλα, τινῶν δ’ οὔ Β. Τὸ δένδρον τρεῖς ἔχει δυνάμεις, πρώτην ἐκ τοῦ γένους τῆς γῆς, δευτέραν ἐκ τοῦ γένους τοῦ ὕδατος, τρίτην ἐκ τοῦ γένους τοῦ πυρός.
B. The tree has three powers: the first from the genus of earth, the second from the genus of water, the third from the genus of fire.
Ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ἔκφυσις τῆς βοτάνης, ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος ἡ σύμπηξις, ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς ἡ ἕνωσις τῆς συμπήξεως τοῦ φυτοῦ.
For from the earth is the sprouting of the herb, from water the solidification, and from fire the union of the solidification of the plant.
Βλέπομεν δὲ πολλὰ τούτων καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὁστρακώδεσιν.
And we see many of these also in testaceous animals.