which is glistening and swollen as though the tree were just about to burst into leaf, and this persists through the winter. The sorb, like the medlar, is thornless; it has smooth rather shiny bark, (except when[1] the tree is old), which in colour is a whitish yellow; but in old trees it is rough and black. The tree is of a good size, of erect growth and with well balanced foliage; for in general it assumes a cone-like shape as to its foliage,[2] unless something interferes. The wood is hard close strong and of a good colour; the roots are not numerous and do not run deep, but they are strong and thick and indestructible. The tree grows from a root, from a piece torn off, or from seed, and seeks a cold moist position; in such a position it is tenacious of life and hard to kill: however it also grows on mountains.
Of bird-cherry, elder, willow.
XIII. [3]The kerasos (bird-cherry) is peculiar in character; it is of great stature, growing as much as twenty-four cubits high; and it is of very erect growth; as to thickness, it is as much as two cubits in circumference at the base. The leaves are like those of the medlar, but very tough and thicker,[4] so that the tree is conspicuous by its colour from a distance. The bark[5] in smoothness colour and thickness is like that of the lime; wherefore men make their writing-cases[6] from it, as from the bark of that tree. [7]This bark does not grow straight nor evenly all round the tree, but runs round it[8] in a spiral
- ↑ ὅσαπερ μὴ conj. Bod.; ὥσπερ τὰ Ald.; ὥστε τὰ M.
- ↑ κόμην Ald.H.; κορυφὴν conj. Sch.; vertice G.
- ↑ Plin. 16. 125; cf. 16. 74; 17. 234.
- ↑ παχύτερον: so quoted by Athen. 2. 34; πλατύτερον MSS.
- ↑ cf. 4. 15. 1; Hesych. s.v. κέρασος.
- ↑ cf. 3. 10. 4; Ar. Vesp. 529.
- ↑ περιπέφυκε … περιπεφυός: text as restored by Sch. and others, following U as closely as possible.
- ↑ περιείληφε conj. R. Const.
