MR. B. M. BEPHEAD OJ^ THE FLORA O^F ^l^Xi. 227 



healed by Elisha). Its limpid stream is overhung by a fine wild 

 fig-tree {Ficus carica) ; but its waters are soon lost in a semi- 

 tropical thicket of Arundo donaXy Solarium coagulant (bearing at 

 once its dull purple flowers and its yellow apple, once thought the 

 Apple of Sodom), JPhysalis somnifera^ a tall Pluchea (?P. Diosce- 

 ridis)y six or seven feet high, and Althseas of gigantic size. The 

 open, drier ground above the spring has thickets of our old Feirau 

 friend, Zizyphus lottcs, with ripe fruit, and on its branches, growing 

 in pendulous tufts, the lovely epiphyte Loranthics indiciLs^ with 

 scarlet blossoms now almost over, but, even in its present state^ 



one of th^ most tropical-looking plants I have seen. Here, too, 

 are many struggling spiny trees of JBalanites cegyptiaca, hardl}? 

 yet ia leaf, but bearing many green fruit, in size, form, and colour 

 resembling a large unripe plum ; it ia the " Zukkum " of the 

 Arabs, and yields the straight, yellow wands so much used for 

 walking-sticks by the wood-turners of Jerusalem, who call it bal- 

 sam-wood, and who inscribe upon the articles made from it the 

 Hebrew word "Jordan." At this place, too, we see again the 



white flower of the Marsdenia^ with the Zygophyllecd and Fagonia^ 

 of the desert, HypecQum imherhe, and Cicer arietinum^ the last 

 possibly an escape from cultivation. 



Descending to the very banks of the Jordan, we have tall Pop- 

 lars {Fopulus eupTiraticus) , elegant Willows of most luxuriant 

 growth, the acacia-like Prosapis Stephanuma, and Tamarisks 

 now in full flower. On the salty soil near the Dead Sea we have 

 some very curious plants — as Echinopsilon eriopTiorum^ growing in 

 patches which are quite white, so thickly is it covered with a cot- 



tony down ; FteraRthits echinatus, a Kuotwort in habit resembling 

 a dwarf Umbellifer; several Salsolas, Sui3edas, and AfripUces; Sta- 

 tice (rgyptiaca, with Avhite, and another species (^S. ? spatlmlata) 

 with pinkish-lilac flowers, and thickets of Arundo donax. The 

 only other uncommon plant which I collected on my way back to 

 Jerusalem was a pale strsw-coloured Chardinia, near Mar Saba; 

 but I remarked Ferula nodijiora on rocks in AVady en-Nar. 

 Leaving the Holy City for the north, I may note, 



Gladiolus segettmiy 



Linum Jlavum, \ at Neby Samwil. 



Campanula speculmUj 

 Sherardia arvensis^ 



Centaur ea cy anus, \ j,ear Bethel. 



JBupleurwn langifolium^ 

 Jasminum Jruticans y 



