§2.4.1Τὰ δὲ φυτὰ ἃ ἐν τῇ ἐπιφανείᾳ τοῦ ὕδατος γεννῶνται, οὐκ ἄλλως γεννῶνται εἰ μὴ διὰ τὸ πάχος τοῦ ὕδατος.
The plants that are generated on the surface of the water are not generated otherwise than through the thickness of the water.
Ὄταν γὰρ θερμότης ἅψηται τοῦ ὕδατος, ἥτις ἄνω που οὐκ ἔχει πῶς ἂν κινηθείη, τότε προέρχεται ἐπ’ αὐτὴν παρόμοιόν τι νεφέλῃ, ὀλίγον τε τοῦ ἀέρος κατέχει, καὶ σήπεται τὸ τοιοῦτον ὑγρόν, ἐφέλκεταί τε αὐτὸ ἡ θερμότης, ἥτις ἐκτείνεται εἰς τὴν ὄψιν τοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ γίνεται ἐντεῦθεν φυτόν.
For when heat touches the water, which has no way to move upward anywhere, then something similar to a cloud advances upon it, and contains a little of the air, and such moisture putrefies, and the heat, which extends to the surface of the water, draws it, and from this a plant is generated.
§2.4.2Οὐκ ἔχει δὲ ῥίζαν, ὅτι ἡ ῥίζα ἐν τοῖς μέρεσιν ἑδράζεται τῆς γῆς, ἔχουσα μέρη διῃρημένα.
And it does not have a root, because a root is established in the parts of the earth, having divided parts.
Οὐκ ἔχει δὲ πάλιν οὐδὲ φύλλα, ὅτι μακράν ἐστιν ἀπὸ τῆς εὐκρασίας, καὶ οὐδὲ τὰ μέρη αὐτοῦ εἰσὶ συμπεπηγότα.
Nor again does it have leaves, because it is far from a good temperature, and its parts are not condensed.
Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ φυτὸν οἷον εἰς ὁμοιότητα φύλλων γεννᾶται, καὶ καλεῖται ἐπίπτερον.
But this plant is generated as it were in the likeness of leaves, and is called epipteron.
§2.4.3Τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν φυτῶν τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ, ἐπεὶ τὰ τῆς γῆς μέρη εἰσὶ συμπεπηγότα, καὶ τὰ μέρη ἐξ ἀνάγκης τούτων εἰσὶ τοιαῦτα.
As for the remaining plants in the earth, since the parts of the earth are condensed, the parts of these also are of necessity such.
Τὰ γοῦν φυτὰ τὰ ἐκ τῆς γῆς συμπεπηγότα γίνονται ἐκ σήψεων ἐν τόπῳ ὑγρῷ καὶ καπνώδει.
At any rate, the condensed plants from the earth are generated from putrefactions in a moist and smoky place.
§2.4.4Αἱ γὰρ σήψεις κατέχουσιν ἀέρα· καὶ ὅταν πληθύνωνται οἱ ὑετοὶ καὶ οἱ ἄνεμοι, ὁ ἥλιος φαίνεσθαι ποιεῖ αὐτάς, κατεπείγει τε ξηραίνεσθαι καὶ συμπήγνυσθαι, καὶ ἡ ξηρότης τῆς γῆς τὰς ῥίζας αὐτῶν ποιεῖ· καὶ γίνονται ἐντεῦθεν φυτὰ καὶ μύκητες καὶ ὕδνα καὶ τὰ ὅμοια.
For putrefactions contain air; and when the rains and winds increase, the sun makes them appear, and urges them to dry and condense, and the dryness of the earth makes their roots; and from this are generated plants, mushrooms, truffles, and the like.
§2.4.5Πάντα δὲ ταῦτα γίνονται ἐν τόποις θερμοῖς κατὰ λόγον, διὸ ἡ θερμότης πέττει τὸ ὕδωρ ἐν τοῖς ἐνδοτέροις τῆς γῆς, κατέχει τε ταύτην ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ γίνεται ἀναθυμίασις, καὶ ἐντεῦθεν συμβαίνει ἡ ἀλλοίωσις εἰς φυτόν.
And all these are generated in warm places reasonably, wherefore the heat concocts the water in the innermost parts of the earth, and the sun retains it, and an exhalation occurs, and from this happens the change into a plant.
Ὁμοίως καὶ ἐν πᾶσι τόποις ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον θερμοῖς πληροῦται ἡ τοῦ φυτοῦ ἀπάρτισις.
Likewise also in all places that are for the most part warm, the completion of the plant is fulfilled.
§2.4.6Οἱ δὲ τόποι οἱ ψυχροί, εἰ καὶ οὖτοι τὸ ὅμοιον ποιοῦσί ποτε, πλὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου.
But cold places, even if they also sometimes do the same, yet they do so from the opposite.
Ὁ γὰρ ψυχρὸς ἀὴρ τὸν θερμὸν συμπιέζει κάτω, συμπήγνυσί τε τὰ μέρη αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ τόπος ἕψησιν πάσχει μετὰ τῆς προσούσης ὑγρότητος αὐτῷ· τοῦ γοῦν περισσοῦ ὑγροῦ ξηρανθέντος σχίζεται ὁ τόπος, καὶ ἐξέρχονται ἐξ αύτοῦ φυτά.
For the cold air presses the warm air downward, and condenses its parts, and the place undergoes a boiling along with the moisture present in it; at any rate, when the excess moisture is dried, the place is split, and plants come out of it.
§2.4.7Ἐν τόποις δὲ γλυκεροῖς, ἐν οἶς τὸ ὕδωρ μὴ ἐπὶ πολὺ συμβαίνει χωρίζεσθαι, ὁπόταν ὁ ἀὴρ τῇ γῇ ἐγκλειόμενος ξηρανθῇ, ἡ ὑγρότης τε τοῦ ὕδατος συμπαγῇ, καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ἀὴρ μείνῃ ἐν τοῖς ἐνδοτέρω τοῦ ὕδατος, ἐξέρχονται φυτά, ὡς τὸ νοῦφαρ τὸ ἰατρικὸν, καὶ εἴδη βοτανῶν ἄλλα πολλῶν καὶ σμικρῶν, ἃ δὴ τοιουτοτρόπως γεννῶνται.
And in sweet places, in which it happens that the water is not separated for a long time, whenever the air enclosed by the earth is dried, and the moisture of the water is condensed, and the same air remains in the inner parts of the water, plants come out, such as the medicinal water-lily, and many other species of small herbs, which indeed are generated in this manner.
§2.4.8Πλὴν οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐκτεταμένα, διότι αἱ ῥίζαι αὐτῶν εἰσὶν ἐπιπολαίως ἐν τῇ γῇ.
However, they are not extended, because their roots are superficially in the earth.
Ἐν τόποις ὡσαύτως ἐν οἶς ὕδωρ θερμὸν τρέχει, πολλάκις φυτὰ γεννῶνται, διότι ἡ θερμότης τοῦ ὕδατος ἐφέλκεται ἀναθυμιάσεις προσφάτους ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἡ δὲ ψυχρὰ φύσις τῆς ὑγρότητος τοῦ ὕδατος ὑποκάτω ἀπομένει, §2.4.9καὶ συμπήγνυται ὁ ἀὴρ ὁ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ ὑγρῷ.
Likewise in places in which warm water flows, plants are often generated, because the heat of the water draws fresh exhalations upon the earth, while the cold nature of the moisture of the water remains below, and the air in this moisture is condensed.
Καὶ ὅταν πεφθῇ ἡ θερμότης τοῦ ἀέρος, πάλιν ἐν τούτῳ γεννᾶται τὸ φυτόν, οὐκ ἄλλως εἰ μὴ ἐν καιρῷ πολλῷ,
And when the heat of the air is concocted, again the plant is generated in this, not otherwise than in a long time.
§2.4.10Αἱ βοτάναι δὲ αἱ μικραί, αἱ φαινόμεναι ἐν τόποις θεαφώδεσι, γίνονται ὅταν ἄνεμοι ὀξέως πνέωσιν ἀντίπνοιάν τε ποιῶσι καὶ ἀντιπλήττωσιν ἀλλήλους, καὶ ἐξεγερθῇ ἀὴρ ὁ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ θερμανθῇ ὁ τόπος καὶ γένηται ἐντεῦθεν πῦρ, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα γεννηθῇ ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ βάθει ἀρσενίκιον, ὃ καταβαίνει ἐκ τῆς ἰλύος τοῦ ἀέρος, καὶ ἐφέλκεται πῦρ μετὰ σήψεως (τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ ἀρσενίκιον)· τότε γὰρ γίνεται ἐκ τούτου φυτά.
And the small herbs that appear in sulfurous places are generated when winds blow sharply and make a counter-wind and strike against one another, and the air in them is aroused and the place is heated and fire is generated from this, and after this there is generated what is arsenic in the depth, which descends from the dregs of the air, and draws fire along with putrefaction (for this is arsenic); for then plants are generated from this.
§2.4.11Οὐ πολλὰ δὲ ταῦτα προβάλλεται φύλλα, καθὼς προαπεδείξαμεν, ὅτι ἡ εὐκρασία ἐκ τούτων πόρρω ἐστίν.
And these do not put forth many leaves, as we showed before, because a good temperature is far from them.
Ὄπερ δὲ φέρει τρόφιμόν τι φυτόν, ἐκεῖνο φύεται ἐν τόποις θερμοῖς καὶ κούφοις καὶ ὑψηλοῖς, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐν τῷ κλίματι τῷ τρίτῳ καὶ τῷ τετάρτῳ· καὶ πάλιν ὃ δένδρον ποιεῖ τι ἐγγὺς τροφίμου, ἐκεῖνο γεννᾶται ἐν τόποις ὑψηλοῖς καὶ ψυχροῖς.
But whatever plant bears something nourishing, that grows in warm, light, and high places, and rather in the third and fourth climate; and again, whatever tree produces something close to nourishing, that is generated in high and cold places.
§2.4.12Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πληθύνονται τὰ εἴδη ἐν τόποις τοιούτοις, διὰ τὴν ἐφέλκυσιν τοῦ ὑγροῦ καὶ τὴν εὐκρασίαν τὴν ἐκ τῆς θερμότητος τοῦ ἡλίου ἐν ἡμέραις χειμεριναῖς.
And for this reason species multiply in such places, because of the attraction of moisture and the good temperature from the heat of the sun in winter days.
Ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ πηλὸς ὁ ἔμφυτος ὀξέως προάγει φυτὰ πίονα· ἡ συμπίλησις γὰρ τῆς ὑγρότητος τούτου ἐν τόποις γλυκεροῖς γίνεται, ὡς προειρήκαμεν.
Likewise also the innate clay quickly produces rich plants; for the compression of its moisture occurs in sweet places, as we said before.