Enquiry into Plants/Volume 1/Chapter 9

by Theophrastus

Differences in root.

^[1]Again plants differ in their roots, some having many long roots, as fig oak plane; for the roots of these, if they have room, run to any length. Others again have few roots, as pomegranate and apple, others a single root, as silver-fir and fir; these have a single root in the sense that they have one long one^[2] which runs deep, and a number of small ones branching from this. Even in some of those which have more than a single root the middle root is the largest and goes deep, for instance, in the almond; in the olive this central root is small, while the others are larger and, as it were, spread out crabwise.^[3] Again the roots of some are mostly stout, of some of various degrees of stoutness, as those of bay and olive; and of some they are all slender, as those of the vine. Roots also differ in degree of smoothness and in density. For the roots of all plants are less dense than the parts above ground, but the density varies in different kinds, as also does the woodiness. Some are fibrous, as those of the silver-fir, some fleshier, as those of: the oak, some are as it were branched and tassel-like, as those of the olive; and this is because they have a large number of fine small roots close together; for all in fact produce these from their large roots, but they are not so closely matted nor so numerous in some cases as in others.

Again some plants are deep-rooting, as the oak, and some have surface roots, as olive pomegranate apple cypress. Again some roots are straight and uniform, others crooked and crossing one another. For this comes to pass not merely on account of the situation because they cannot find a straight course; it may also belong to the natural character of the plant, as in the bay and the olive; while the fig and such like become crooked because they can not find a straight course.

All roots have core, just as the stems and branches do, which is to be expected, as all these parts are made of the same materials. Some roots again have side-growths shooting upwards, as those of the vine and pomegranate, while some have no side-growth, as those of silver-fir cypress and fir. The same differences are found in under-shrubs and herbaceous plants and the rest, except that some have no roots at all, as truffle mushroom bullfist^[4] 'thunder-truffle.' Others have numerous roots, as wheat one-seeded wheat barley and all plants of like nature, for instance,^[5] . . . . Some have few roots, as leguminous plants. ^[6]And in general most of the pot-herbs have single roots, as cabbage beet celery monk's rhubarb; but some have large side-roots, as celery and beet, and in proportion to their size these root deeper than trees. Again of some the roots are fleshy, as in radish turnip cuckoo-pint crocus; of some they are woody, as in rocket and basil. And so with most wild plants, except those whose roots are to start with numerous and much divided, as those of wheat barley and the plant specially^[7] called 'grass.' For in annual and herbaceous plants this is the difference between the roots:—Some are more numerous and uniform and much divided to start with, but the others have one or two specially large roots and others springing from them.

To speak generally, the differences in roots are more numerous in shrubby plants and pot-herbs; ^[8]for some are woody, as those of basil, some fleshy, as those of beet, and still more those of cuckoo-pint asphodel and crocus; some again are made, as it were, of bark and flesh, as those of radishes and turnips; some have joints, as those of reeds and dog's tooth grass and of anything of a reedy character; and these roots alone, or more than any others, resemble the parts above ground; they are in fact like^[9] reeds fastened in the ground by their fine roots. Some again have scales or a kind of bark, as those of squill and purse-tassels, and also of onion and things like these. In all these it is possible to strip off a coat.

Now all such plants, seem, as it were, to have two kinds of root; and so, in the opinion of some, this is true generally of all plants which have a solid 'head'^[10] and send out roots from it downwards. These have, that is to say, this fleshy or bark-like root, like squill, as well as the^[11] roots which grow from this. For these roots not only differ in degree of stoutness, like those of trees and pot-herbs; they are of quite distinct classes.^[12] This is at once quite evident in cuckoo-pint and galingale,^[13] the root being in the one ease thick smooth and fleshy, in the other thin and fibrous. Wherefore we might question if such roots should be called 'roots'; inasmuch as they are under ground they would seem to be roots, but, inasmuch as they are of opposite character to other roots, they would not. For your root gets slenderer as it gets longer and tapers continuously^[14] to a point; but the so-called root of squill purse-tassels and cuckoo-pint does just the opposite.

Again, while the others send out roots at the sides, this is not the case^[15] with squill and purse-tassels, nor yet with garlic and onion, In general in these plants the roots which are attached to the 'head' in the middle appear to be real roots and receive nourishment,^[16] and this 'head' is, as it were, an embryo or fruit; wherefore those who call such plants meats which reproduce themselves underground^[17] give a fair account of them. In other kinds of plants there is nothing of this sort.^[18] But a difficult question is raised, since here the 'root' has a character which goes beyond what one associates with roots. For it is not right to call all that which is underground 'root,' since in that ease the stalk^[19] of purse-tassels and that of long onion and in general any part which is under. ground would be a root, and so would the truffle, the plant which? some call puff-ball, the unigon, and all other underground plants. Whereas none of these is a root; for we must base our definition on natural function and not on position.

However it may be that this is a true account and yet that such things are roots no less; but in that case we distinguish two different kinds of root, one being of this character and the other of the other, and the one getting its nourishment from the other; though the fleshy roots too themselves seem to draw nourishment. At all events men invert the roots of cuckoo-pint before it shoots, and so they become larger by being prevented from pushing? through to make a shoot. For it is evident that the nature of all such plants is to turn downwards for choice; for the stems and the upper parts generally are short and weak, while the underground parts are large numerous and strong, and that, not only in the instances given, but in reeds dog's-tooth grass and in general in all plants of a reedy character and those like them. Those too which resemble ferula have large fleshy roots.

Many herbaceous plants likewise have such roots, as colchicum crocus and the plant called 'partridge-plant'; for this too has thick roots which are more numerous than its leaves. (It is called the 'partridge-plant' because partridges roll in it and grub it up.) So too with the plant called in Egypt

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^[25] uingon; for its leaves are large and its shoots short, while the root is long and is, as it were, the fruit. It is an excellent thing and is eaten; men gather it when the river goes down by turning the clods. But the plants which afford the most conspicuous instances and shew the greatest difference as compared with others are silphium and the plant called magydaris; the character of both of these and of all such plants is especially shewn in® their roots. Such is the account to be given of these plants.

Again some roots would seem to shew a greater difference © than those mentioned, for instance, those of arakhidna, and of a plant which resembles arakos. For both of these bear a fruit underground which is as large as the fruit above ground, and this arakos-like plant has one thick root, namely, the one which runs deep, while the others which bear the 'fruit' are slenderer and branch?? in many directions at the tip. It is specially fond of sandy ground. Neither of these plants has a leaf nor anything resembling a leaf, but they bear, as it were, two kinds of fruit instead, which seems surprising. So many then are the differences shewn in the characters and functions of roots.

VII. The roots of all plants seem to grow earlier than the parts above ground (for growth does take place downwards). But no root goes down further than the sun reaches, since it is the heat which induces growth. Nevertheless the nature of the soil,

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^[31] if it is light open and porous, contributes greatly^[32] to deep rooting, and still more to the formation of long roots; for in such soils growth goes further and is more vigorous. This is evident in cultivated plants.^[33] For, provided that they have water, they run on, one may say, wherever it may be,^[34] whenever^[35] the ground is unoccupied and there is no obstacle. ^[36]For instance the plane-tree by the watercourse in the Lyceum when it was still young sent out its roots a distance of^[37] thirty-three cubits, having both room and nourishment.

The fig would seem, one may say, to have the longest roots, and in general plants which have wood of loose texture and straight roots would seem to have these longer. Also young plants, provided that they have reached their prime, root deeper and have longer roots than old ones; for the roots decay along with^[38] the rest of the plant's body. And in all eases alike the juices of plants^[39] are more powerful in the roots than in other parts, while in some cases they are extremely powerful; wherefore the roots are bitter in some plants whose fruits are sweet; some roots again are medicinal, and some are fragrant, as those of the iris.

The character and function of the roots of the 'Indian fig' (banyan) are peculiar, for this plant sends out roots from the shoots till it has a hold on the ground^[40] and roots again; and so there comes to be a continuous circle of roots round the tree, not connected with the main stem but at a distance from it.

Something similar to this, but even more surprising, occurs in those plants which emit roots from their leaves, as they say does a certain herb which grows about Opus, which is also sweet to taste. The peculiarity again of lupins is less surprising, namely that, if the seed is dropped where the ground is thickly overgrown, it pushes its root through to the earth and germinates because of its vigour. But we have said enough for study of the differences between roots.

 

1. Plin. 16. 127.
2. 3. 6. 4 seems to give a different account.
3. cf. C.P. 3. 23. 5, and καρκινώδης C.P. 1. 12. 3; 3. 21. 5.
4. πέζις κεραύνιον: πύξος κράνιον UMVAld.; πέζις conj. Sch. from Athen. 2. 59; κεραύνιον conj. W. cf. Plin. 3. 36 and 37, Juv. 5, 117.
5. εἰκαζούσαις: word corrupt; so UMVAld,
6. Plin. 19. 98.
7. The same term being applied to ‘herbaceous’ plants in general.
8. Plin. 19. 98.
9. i.e. the main root is a sort of repetition of the part above ground.
10. i.e. bulb, corm, rhizome, etc.
11. τὰς conj. Sch.; τῆς Ald.H.; τὴν . . . ἀποπεφυκυῖαν P.
12. ἀλλ᾽ ἀλλοῖον ἔχουσι conj. St.; ἀλλὰ λεῖον ἔχοντες PMV Ald.; ἀλλοῖον ἐχ. mBas.mP from G; ἀλλ᾽ ἀλλοῖον ἔχουσαι conj. Scal.
13. cf. 4.10.5.
14. καὶ ἀεὶ Ald.; ἀεὶ καὶ conj. W.
15. Plin. 19. 99.
16. cf. the definition of 'root,' 1. 1. 9.
17. ἐγγεότοκα λέγοντες conj. W.; cf. ἡ τῶν ἐγγεοτόκων τούτων γένεσις in Athenaeus' citation of this passage (2. 60); εντεοσ οισαλεγοντες U; ἒν τε τοῑς ὀστοῑς ἀλέγοντες MV (omitting τε) Ald. (omitting τοῑς).
18. τοιοῡτο μὲν οὐδέν Conj. W.; τοῡτο μὲν MSS.
19. ἄν ὁ καυλός conj. St.; ἀνάκαυλος Ald.
20. conj. Sch.; MVAld.; cf. 7. 12. 2.
21. conj. W.; UMV.
22. i.e, have a hollow stem (umbelliferous plants, more or less).
23. Plin. 19. 99.
24. UMV; mBas.: perhaps corrupt.
25. Plin. 21. 102.
26. i.e. to be even more abnormal: conj. Sch.; Ald.
27. Plin. 21. 89.
28. tine-tare. See Index, App. (1).
29. conj. Sch.; Ald.G.
30. before . om. Sch. from G.
31. cf. C.P . 1. 12. 7. (cited by Varro, 1. 45. 3); 3. 3. 1.
32. ταῡτα before μέγαλα om. W.
33. ημερωματων conj. Sch.; ἡμερωτάτων UP₂Ald.: cf. C. P. 5. 6. 8.
34. οπουοῡν MSS.; ὁποσονοῡν conj. W. from G, in quantum libeat.
35. ἐπειδὰν conj. Sch.; ἐπεὶ κἰὶν UMVPAld.
36. Quoted by Varro, l. 37. 5.
37. ἐπὶ conj. Sch.; παρὰ P₂; περὶ Ald.
38. συμφθίνουσι: συμφωνοῡσι conj. St.
39. τοις φυτοις Ald.; ταις ριζαις conj. W. from G: text probably defective.
40. τη γη conj. Scal. from G; συκη U; τη συκη P₂Ald.

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