Los versos 86-105 del décimo libro de las Metamorfosis de Ovidio componen un verdadero catálogo de árboles. En el prólogo de El vértigo de las listas, Umberto Eco asegura que «El artista que pretende enumerar, aunque sea parcialmente, todas las estrellas del universo, lo que quiere en cierto modo es que pensemos en este infinito objetivo». Tal vez sea ese el fin último de este bello pasaje.

Collis erat collemque super planissima campi
area, quam viridem faciebant graminis herbae.
Umbra loco deerat: qua postquam parte resedit
dis genitus vates et fila sonantia movit,
umbra loco venit. Non Chaonis afuit arbor.
non nemus Heliadum, non frondibus aesculus altis,
nec tiliae molles, nec fagus et innuba laurus,
et coryli fragiles et fraxinus utilis hastis
enodisque abies curvataque glandibus ilex
et platanus genialis acerque coloribus impar
amnicolaeque simul salices et aquatica lotos
perpetuoque virens buxum tenuesque myricae
et bicolor myrtus et bacis caerula tinus.
Vos quoque, flexipedes hederae, venistis et una
pampineae vites et amictae vitibus ulmi,
ornique et piceae pomoque onerata rubenti
arbutus et lentae, victoris praemia, palmae
et succincta comas hirsutaque vertice pinus,
grata deum matri; siquidem Cybeleius Attis
exuit hac hominem truncoque induruit illo.

[Traducción al inglés de Samuel Garth, John Dryden y otros: A hill there was, and on that hill a mead, / with verdure thick, but destitute of shade. / Where, now, the Muse’s son no sooner sings, / no sooner strikes his sweet resounding strings. / But distant groves the flying sounds receive, / and list’ning trees their rooted stations leave; / themselves transplanting, all around they grow, / and various shades their various kinds bestow. / Here, tall Chaonian oaks their branches spread, / while weeping poplars there erect their head. / The foodful Esculus here shoots his leaves, / that turf soft lime-tree, this, fat beach receives; / here, brittle hazels, lawrels here advance, / and there tough ash to form the heroe’s lance; / here silver firs with knotless trunks ascend, / there, scarlet oaks beneath their acorns bend.  That spot admits the hospitable plane, / on this, the maple grows with clouded grain;  / here, watry willows are with Lotus seen; / there, tamarisk, and box for ever green. / With double hue here mirtles grace the ground,  / and laurestines, with purple berries crown’d.  / With pliant feet, now, ivies this way wind, / vines yonder rise, and elms with vines entwin’d.  / Wild Ornus now, the pitch-tree next takes root,  / and Arbutus adorn’d with blushing fruit.  / Then easy-bending palms, the victor’s prize,  / and pines erect with bristly tops arise.  / For Rhea grateful still the pine remains, / for Atys still some favour she retains;  / he once in human shape her breast had warm’d, / and now is cherish’d, to a tree transform’d. En español por Pedro Sánchez de Viana.]