106 THE ABGAN TEEE OF MAROCCO. 



besides, in the infant seedling plants (three or four weeks old), a sharp 

 subulate spine, ^ an inch or more long, at the base of each alternate 

 leaf; and, in the old plants, at the base of each fascicle of leaves. 

 Leaves in the old plants fasciculated, spreading, from f of an inch to 

 nearly an inch long, linear or oblong-spatliulate, obtuse, glabrous, 

 penniveined, subcoriaceo-membranaceous, persistent, tapering at the 

 base, but scarcely petiolate. Flowers in small clusters or glomerules, 

 in the axils of the spines and leaves ; sessile, minute, subtended by a 

 few hairy orbicular bracteas. Cb?y^ cup-shaped, deeply five-lobed; lodes 

 rounded, imbricated, rather unequal, externally hairy. Corolla short, 

 between infundibulifonn and rotate : tube short ; limb of five, erecto- 

 patent, rounded, concave lobes. Stamens five, fertile, opposite to the 

 lobe of the corolla and inserted on their bases. Filaments subulate, 

 thick, as long as the lobes of the corolla. Anther cordato-rotundate, 

 large for the size of the flower, versatile. Alternating with them, in 

 the tube of the corolla, are five abortive stamens^ reduced to scales, 

 which, from a broad toothed base, are subulate, half as long as the 

 lobes of the corolla. Ovary ovato-globose, hairy, one- to four-celled. 

 Cklls with a single ovule attached to the central axis. Style subulate, 

 rather longer than the corolla. Stigma a mere point. The f7'uit is a 

 drupe about the size of a pigeon's egg, but varying a good deal in 

 length and breadth ; oblong, ovate, elliptical, or almost globose. Outer 

 coat between coriaceous and pulpy. Within are from one (by abor- 

 tion) to four pyrenee^ or hard, thick, between woody and horny nuts^ 

 firmly united into one, so that sometimes the place of union is quite 

 obliterated. Each of these, except in case of abortion, contains a large 

 embryo^ with a small inferior radicle^ and two large compressed oval 

 cotyledons, surrounded by an oily albumen"*, 



* We are jast now, on concluding the printing of this article, referred to 'Sym- 

 jnond's Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom/ p, 533, for a notice under 

 the head of "Almond Oil," which would appear to refer to Argan oil; but the 

 author gives no authority, and appears to have been at no pains or trouble to throw 

 any light upon the subject. "To the south of the Empire of Morocco," says Mr. 

 Symmonds, "there are forests of the Arzo-tree, which is thorny, irregular in its 

 form, and produces a species of Almoud exceedingly hard. Its fruit consists of two 

 almonds, rough and bitter, from which an oil is produced, very excelleut for frying. 

 In order to use this oil, it requires to be purified by fire, and set on flame, which 

 most be suffered to die away of itself; the most greasy particles are thus consumed, 

 and its acrid qualities wholly destroyed, When the Moors gather these fruits, they 

 drive their goats under the trees, and as the fruit falls, the animals carefully nibble 

 off the skins, and then greedily feed. 



" The oil of almonds is more fluid than olive oil, and is of a clear, transparent 



