^\'^from the Kingdom of ^^pcil^rj^ij^ 453 



species, alata, cordata, fasciculata, purpurascens, are equally 

 esteemed or collected. These are annuals, and abound in open 

 sites, at various zones from 4000 to 12,000 feet above the sea. 

 Ophelia angustifolia and paniculata are figured in Wallich's 

 PI. As. Rar. iii. t. 204-5. 



" The Kutki is another officinal plant, with a woody root, 

 and a stem containing many alternate leaves, toothed on the 

 edges and shaped like a spathula. It has much the appearance 

 of a Saxifrage. The roots are brought for sale'^ (p. 100). 

 Picrorhiza Kwrooa, Royle, Illustr. t. 71. f. 2, a bitter for which 

 he tells us that Gentiana Kurroo is frequently substituted. 

 Nima quassioides, occurring in the valleys of Basehar and Upper 

 Garhwal at 5500 to 8000 feet, is also called Karwi, from its 

 exceedingly bitter bark and wood. 



Picrorhiza Kurrooa is abundant in the Alpine Himalaya, on 

 the open downs above the limit of forest, 12,000 to 14,000 feet. 

 There is a second species in Kumaon, discovered by Major R. 

 Strachey, at similar heights. 



Jatamangsi, p. 97 : the Nard or Spikenard of the ancients ; 

 Hebrew Neredde, from the Sans. Nalada, i.e, ^ giving fragrance.' 

 Nardostachys Jatdmdnsi, Royle, Illustr. t. 54. f. 2. Patrinia 

 Jatamasi, Don, Prod. 159, 160. The Indian women consider 

 the smell very agreeable, and most of them that can aiFord it 

 use oil impregnated with this root for perfuming their hair. 

 " All T can say is,'^ adds Dr. Hamilton, " that if this root was 

 the Spikenard of the Roman ladies, their lovers must have had 

 a very difi'erent taste from the youth of modern Europe.'^ Cant, 

 i. 12. There is, however, a larger species, N. grandiflora (DC. 

 Prod. iv. 624), in Kumaon, flourishing at similar elevations 

 (13,000 to 14,000 feet) to iV. Jatdmdnsi'^, and with a similar 

 root ; " but it is much larger, and its smell is more agreeable *' 

 (Wall. P. A. R. iii. 40) ; and Lambert (Genus Cinchona, 1821, 

 p. 179) says, it "may be considered as possessing the most 

 agreeable odour of any" of the Valerians. His figure (p. 180) 

 evidently represents this species, not N, Jatdmdnsi ; and the 

 description, anticipated from Don^s Prodromus, proves that the 

 latter also, unless made from Nepal specimens, belongs to it. 

 The perfume and properties of the genus are, in fact, very nearly 

 those of Valeriana Celtica and Phu ; and it is curious enough 

 that the radical leaves of the last two species (the roots of which 

 are substituted in Western Asia for the Spikenard) are simple, 

 and bear a considerable resemblance to those of Nardostachys, 



* It is strange that DeCandolle (iv. 624) should assign Mandu and 

 Chitor in Central India as stations for this plant, which cannot live at 

 Alniorah, 5600 feet, beyond a few months. ^ 



