Natural History of Gaius Plinius Secundus, Vol. 2

...and not shedding its leaves. The stone in the fruit is large, but the body itself is like a harvest in nature and abundance for the inhabitants. For they pound it when it is cleaned, and save its morsels. There was also a wild region around Memphis with such vast trees that three men could not encompass them, with one peculiar miracle—not for the fruit nor any use, but for the event. For it has the appearance of a thorn, with leaves like feathers, which, when the branches are touched by a man, fall immediately and afterwards grow back.

Of the kinds of gum, and papyrus. Chapter XI.

It is agreed that the best gum comes from the Egyptian thorn, vermiculated, of a bluish color, pure without bark, adhering to the teeth. Its price is thirteen denarii per pound. A worse kind comes from bitter almonds and the cherry, and the worst from plums. It also flows from vines—most suitable for the ulcers of infants—and sometimes from the olive for toothache; it also comes from the elm on Mount Corycus in Cilicia, and the juniper, useful for nothing; indeed, gnats are even born there from the gum of the elm. Gum is also made from sarcocolla (that is the name of the tree), which is most useful to painters and doctors, similar to incense dust; and therefore the white is better than the reddish. Its price is as stated above. We have not yet touched upon marsh plants, nor the shrubs of rivers. Nevertheless, before we depart from Egypt, the nature of papyrus shall be described, since the humanity of life and memory consists most of all in the use of paper. M. Varro is the authority that this was discovered by the victory of Alexander the Great, when Alexandria was founded in Egypt. Before that, there was no use of paper; it was written first on palm leaves, then on the bark of certain trees. Afterwards, public monuments were begun to be made on leaden rolls, and soon private ones on linen or bronze. For we find in Homer that the use of writing tablets existed even...