THE ARQAN TUilE OF MAROCCO. 99 



tagelser over Vextriget i Marokko. Forste Stycke. Kiobnhavn, 1800. 

 4. 7 Tab./ of which a German edition appeared in 1801, in 8vo, by 

 J. A. Markussen. It gives an account of some Marocco plants ; and, 

 after an introductory sketch of the physical geography of Marocco, it 

 contains descriptions of the plants of the country, in Latin and German, 

 with occasional observations iii German. The account of the Argan, 

 under B;etz's name of Maeodendron Argan^ is long ; first comes a techni- 

 cal description, followed by a history of its synonymy, and then the fol- 

 lowing notes (kindly translated for us by Mr. Bentham). 



"It is surprising that this tree should hitiierto have been so little 

 known ; as it is found in a country near Europe, and visited by many 

 travellers, who speak in their diaries and descriptions of Oil of Argan ^ 

 and oi Argan-trees, these last as constituting a considerable proportion 

 of the forests of the country. It is however not to be met with in the 

 northern provinces, but only towards the south. All those persons, 

 from whom I have sought more accurate information on the subject, 

 are unanimous in stating that it only grows between the rivers Tansif 

 and Suy, that is, between the 29^ and 32"^ N. lat., and there constitutes 

 forests of considerable extent. It flowers in the middle of June, and the 

 fruit remains on the tree the greater part of the year. The young 

 fruit sets in the end of July or beginning of August, and grows slowly 

 till the rainy season commences, towards the end of September. It 

 now enlarges rapidly, and attains its full size during that season, so 

 as that by the middle or end of March it is ripe enough to be gathered 

 for economical uses. Both the fruit and the wood are serviceable, but 

 especially the former; for from the kernel an oil is extracted, which is 

 much employed for domestic purposes by the Moors, and is an im- 

 portant production of the country, as it saves much olive oil, which 

 can thus be thrown into commerce, and made to bring money into the 

 country. It is calculated that in the whole Argan region one thousand 



an 



quantity of olive oil for exportation to Europe. Our countryman Host, 

 in his • Efterretninger om Marokos,' p. 285, says that the Argan oil is 

 exported to Europe, where it is used in manufactures. Such may have 

 been the case in former times, when it might be cheaper, but now 

 there would be no advantage in doing so, as it costs almost as much as 

 olive oil. At present no Argan oil whatever is exported. 



« Ac ♦!.*> T.raM\^ \^^ nrj-nariniT this oil is somcwhut different from 



