§2.7.1Τριπλώς δὲ ἡ τῶν δένδρων εὐπορία ἀκολουθεῖ· ἢ γὰρ προάγουσι τοὺς καρποὺς πρὸ τῶν φύλλων, ἤ σύναμα τοῖς φύλλοις, ἢ μετὰ τὰ φύλλα.
The abundance of trees follows in three ways: for they produce fruits either before the leaves, or together with the leaves, or after the leaves.
Ἔστι τοίνυν φυτὸν ὅπερ οὐκ ἔχει ῥίζαν ἢ φύλλα· ἔστι καὶ ὅπερ φέρει φιτρὸν ἄνευ καρποῦ καὶ φύλλων, ὡς Ἡ λεγομένη χρυσοκόμη ἢ χρυσῖτις.
There is, then, a plant that has neither root nor leaves; and there is also one that bears a trunk without fruit and leaves, as the so-called chrysokome or chrysitis.
§2.7.2Ἀλλὰ τὰ φυτὰ ἂ καρπὸν πρὸ τῶν φύλλων προάγουσι, πολλὴν ἔχουσι τὴν πιότητα.
But the plants that produce fruit before the leaves have much richness.
Ὅταν γοῦν ἐκταθείη ἡ θερμότης ἡ οὖσα φυσικῶς τῷ φυτῷ, ταχύνει καὶ ἡ τούτου πέψις, ῥώννυταί τε καὶ ζέει ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις τοῦ φυτοῦ, κωλύει τε τὸν χυμὸν ἵνα μὴ ἀναβαίνῃ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ· κἀντεῦθεν προχωροῦσι καρποὶ καὶ φύλλα.
At any rate, when the heat that is naturally in the plant is extended, its concoction also hastens, and it becomes strong and boils in the branches of the plant, and prevents the juice from ascending from it; and from this, fruits and leaves come forth.
§2.7.3Ἐν δὲ τοῖς φυτοῖς ἃ ταχύτερον τὰ φύλλα προάγουσι, τί νοητέον;
But in the plants that produce leaves more quickly, what must we think?
Αἱ διαθέσεις τῶν ὑγρῶν εἰσὶ πολλαί, Ὁπόταν γοῦν ἡ θερμότης τοῦ ἡλίου ἄρξηται διασπείρειν τὰ μέρη τοῦ ὕδατος, ἄνω ἐφέλκεται ὁ ἥλιος τὰ μέρη τῆς ὑγρότητος, καὶ βραδύνει ἡ πεπειρότης, διότι ἡ πέψις τοῦ καρποῦ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰ μὴ ἐν συμπήξει, καὶ προηγοῦνται τὰ φύλλα τῶν καρπῶν τῇ προσαγωγῇ τῆς πολλῆς ὑγρότητος.
The dispositions of moisture are many; at any rate, when the heat of the sun begins to disperse the parts of the water, the sun draws the parts of the moisture upward, and the ripeness is delayed, because the concoction of the fruit does not take place except in solidification, and the leaves precede the fruits by the supply of much moisture.
§2.7.4Πολλάκις δὲ συμβαίνει αὐτοῖς καὶ πιότης, ὁπόταν ἡ ὑγρότης ἡ ἐν τῷ φυτῷ πέψιν λάβῃ καὶ ἀναβῇ ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀτμὶς πυκνή, καὶ ἑλκύσῃ αὐτὴν ὁ ἀὴρ μετὰ τοῦ ἡλίου· τότε γὰρ ἐξέρχεται ἐκ τῆς ὑγρότητος ἐκείνης καὶ πιότης καὶ καρπὸς καὶ φύλλα μιᾷ ἐκθέσει.
Often, richness also occurs in them when the moisture in the plant receives concoction and a dense vapor ascends from it, and the air with the sun draws it up; for then, from that moisture, richness, fruit, and leaves come forth in a single emission.
Οἱ παλαιοὶ δὲ σοφοὶ τὰ φύλλα πάντα καρποὺς εἶναι διεβεβαιοῦντο.
And the ancient wise men asserted that all leaves are fruits.
§2.7.5Ἰστέον οὖν ὡς ὁπόταν ἡ ὑγρότης ἐστὶ τόση ὥστε μὴ πεπαίνεσθαι μηδὲ συμπήγνυσθαι διὰ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἀέρος ἀνάπτυξιν καὶ τὴν ἄνωθεν σπουδὴν τῆς ἐφελκύσεως τοῦ ἡλίου, τότε ἡ ὑγρότης αὕτη, εἰς ἢν οὐκ ἐνηργήθη πέψις, ἀλλοιοῦται εἰς φύλλα· ἃ δὴ οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἄλλον σκοπὸν εἰ μὴ τὴν ἐφέλκυσιν τῆς ὑγρότητος, καὶ ἵνα ὦσι καὶ περικαλύμματα τῶν καρπῶν ἀπὸ τῆς σφοδρότητος τοῦ ἡλίου.
It must be known, therefore, that when the moisture is so great that it is neither ripened nor solidified due to the expansion by the air and the intense pulling of the sun from above, then this moisture, upon which concoction has not operated, is altered into leaves; which indeed have no other purpose than the pulling of the moisture, and that they may also be coverings for the fruits against the violence of the sun.
§2.7.6Οὐ τοίνυν ὁμοίως δεῖ ἵνα τὰ φύλλα ὦσιν ὡς οἱ καρποί· ὁ γὰρ χυμὸς ὁ ἀναβαίνων ἀλλοιωθείς, οὖτός ἐστι τὰ φύλλα, ὡς εἴπομεν.
Therefore, it is not necessary that the leaves should be like the fruits; for the ascending juice, having been altered, is the leaves, as we have said.
Τοιουτοτρόπως ἐστὶν ἡ κρίσις καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐλαίαις, αἳ πολλάκις στερίσκονται τῶν ἐδίων καρπῶν.
In like manner is the condition also in olives, which are often deprived of their own fruits.
§2.7.7Ὁπόταν γὰρ ἡ φύσις πέψιν ποιήσῃ, ἀναβαίνει πρώτως ἐκ τῆς λεπτότητος, ὅπερ οὐκ ἐπεπάνθη ἐκ τῆς θερμότητος.
For when nature causes concoction, it ascends first from the thinness, which has not been ripened by the heat.
Ἔστιν οὖν αὕτη ἡ ὑγρότης φύλλα, Ἡ δὲ πέψις ἐστὶν ἄνθος.
Therefore, this moisture is leaves, and the concoction is flower.
Ὅταν δὲ τελειωθῇ τῷ δευτέρῳ ἔτει ἡ πέψις, γεννῶνται καρποί, καὶ ἐκβαίνει εἰς τέλος ἡ ὕλη κατὰ τὸν τόπον τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς.
But when the concoction is completed in the second year, fruits are generated, and the matter comes to an end according to the place in them.
§2.7.8Αἱ ἄκανθαι ὡσαύτως εἰσὶν ἐκ τοῦ γένους τῶν φυτῶν, οὐ μὴν τῆς αὐτῆς φύσεως.
Thorns likewise are of the class of plants, yet not of the same nature.
Λέγω γοῦν ὅτι ἐν τῷ φυτῷ ἐστὶν ἀραιότης, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ τῆς φύσεως αὐτοῦ ἐστὶ πέψις, καὶ ἀναβαίνει ὑγρότης ψυχρὰ καὶ μετ’ αὐτῆς βραχεῖα διάκρισις, διερχομένη ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἀραιότητι.
I say, then, that in the plant there is looseness of texture, and in the beginning of its nature there is concoction, and cold moisture ascends, and with it a slight separation, passing through that looseness of texture.
Ποιεῖ γοῦν ταύτην συμπήγνυσθαι ὁ ἥλιος, κἀντεῦθέν εἰσιν αἱ ἄκανθαι.
The sun, then, causes this to solidify, and from this are the thorns.
§2.7.9Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ εἶδος αὐτῶν ἐστὶ πυραμοειδές· ἔστι γὰρ ἡ βάσις αὐτῶν ἀρχομένη ἀπὸ παχέος καὶ προχωροῦσα εἰς ἰσχνόν.
For this reason, their shape is also pyramidal; for their base starts from thick and proceeds to thin.
Τοῦτο δὲ γίνεται, διότι κατὰ βραχὺ ὁ ἀὴρ ἐπεκτεινόμενος τῷ φυτῷ αὐξάνει τὰ μέρη αὐτοῦ μετ’ ἐπντάσεως τῆς ὑικῆς.
And this happens because the air, extending itself gradually to the plant, increases its parts with a material extension.
Τοιουτοτρόπως καὶ πᾶν δένδρον ἢ φυτὸν γίνεται, οὖ ἡ κεφαλή ἐστι πυραμοειδής.
In like manner also does every tree or plant arise whose head is pyramidal.