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1 "Cæduæ." Though this is the fact as to some palm-trees, the greater part perish after being cut; the vital bud occupying the summit, and the trunk not being susceptible of any increase.
2 Cerebrum.
3 The Chamæreps humilis of the modern botanists. It is found, among other countries, in Spain, Morocco, and Arabia.
4 Vitilia.
5 "Vivaces." Perhaps it may mean that the wood retains the fire for a long time, when it burns.
6 Fée suggests that Pliny may possibly have confounded the fruit of other palms with the date.
7 This seems to have been a general name, as Pliny says, meaning an eunuch; but it is evident that it was also used as a proper name, as in the case of the eunuch who slew Artaxerxes, Ochus, B.C. 338, by poison, and of another eunuch who belonged to Darius, but afterwards fell into the hands of Alexander, of whom he became an especial favourite. The name is sometimes written "Bagoüs," and sometimes "Bagoas."
8 Dominantis in aula.
9 From the Greek σύαγρος, "a wild boar," as Pliny afterwards states; they being so called from their peculiar wild taste.
10 See B. vi. c. 39.
11 Said to have been so called from the Greek κάρη, "the head," and ὑωδία, "stupidity," owing to the heady nature of the wine extracted from the fruit.
12 See B. vi. c. 32, and B. xiv. c. 19.
13 The Jericho of Scripture.
14 Athenæus, B. xiv. c. 22, tells us that these dates were thus called from Nicolaus of Damascus, a Peripatetic philosopher, who, when visiting Rome with Herod the Great, made Augustus a present of the finest fruit of the palm-tree that could be procured. This fruit retained its name of "Nicolaän," down to the middle ages.
15 Pliny would imply that they are so called from the Greek ἀδέλφια, "a sister," as being of sister quality to the caryotæ; but it is much more probable, as Fée remarks, that they got this name from being attached in pairs to the same pedicie or stalk.
16 Pliny certainly seems to imply that they are so called from the Greek πατέω, "to tread under foot," and Hardouin is of that opinion. Fée, however, thinks the name is from the Hebrew or Syriac "patach," "to expand," or "open," or else from the Hebrew "pathah," the name of the first vowel, from some fancied resemblance in the form.
17 From the Greek χυδαῖος, "vulgar," or "common," it is supposed. The Jews probably called them so, as being common, or offered by the Gentiles to their idols and divinities. Pliny evidently considers that in the name given to them no compliment was intended to the deities of the heathen mythology.
18 From its extreme driness, and its shrivelled appearance.
19 From Theophrastus, B. i. c. 16.
20 κύκως, in the Greek. It is supposed by Sprengel to be the same as the Cycas circinnalis of Linnæus; but, as Fée remarks, that is only found in India.
21 From the Greek, meaning "sweetmeats," or "dessert fruit:" he probably means that in Syria and some parts of Phœnicia they were thus called.
22 This story, which is borrowed from Theophrastus, B. iv. c. 5, is doubted by Fée, who says that in the green state they are so hard and nauseous, that it is next to impossible to eat sufficient to be materially incommoded by them.
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