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Terebinthacee. | THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS. 177 
every respect with those of the new. genus, Balsamodendron, to which it has been referred 
by Messrs.Wight and Arnott; it serves to show the analogy between the flora of 
India, Arabia, and Abyssinia, as well as the similarity in the products of plants of the 
same genus in these different countries. This Indian species is described by Dr. Rox- 
burgh as being found in Silhet, Assam, and the districts E. and N.E. of Bengal ; 
flowering in the Calcutta Botanic Garden in February and March, but seldom ripening 
its seed, The whole plant, especially when any part is bruised, diffuses a grateful 
fragrance, like that of the finest myrrh; so that Dr. R. was induced to think it might be 
the plant yielding that drug, but seems to have abandoned the idea, in consequence of 
the evaporation of the exuded juice, and his being able to obtain only a small quantity 
of a gummy matter, which he observes, certainly resembled myrrh, both in smell and 
appearance. But this, considering that the trees were young, as they did not ripen 
their seed, must be considered rather as favourable, than conclusive against their pro- 
ducing any kind of gum-resin. The googul which I obtained in the bazars was said 
to come from the hills, at the foot of which this tree is found; the subject might therefore 
be traced out by those favourably situated for the purpose. The name googil is also 
applied, according to Dr. Ainslie, by the Tellingoos of the Coromandel coast, to the resin 
which exudes from Boswellia glabra. 
There is, however, a substance, famed in ancient and used in modern times, produced 
also by this group, and known as Okbanum or Thus, looban and koondur of the natives 
of India. Under the latter name, it is described by Avicenna, evidently referring to 
the A;Gexe¢ of Dioscorides, who mentions both an Arabian and an Indian kind. The 
latter Mr. Colebrooke has proved to be the produce of Boswellia serrata, Roxb., 
(B. thurifera, Colebr.), salai or saleh of the Hindoos, common in Central India and Bun- 
dlecund, where I have seen it, especially about the Bisramgunge ghaut. It is probably 
also produced by B. glabra, which has the same native name, and though extending to a 
more northern latitude, is distributed over many of the same localities. It is common in 
the low hills above Mohun Chowkee, where I have myself collected off the trunk of the 
trees some very clear, pure, and fragrant resin, which burns rapidly away with a bright 
light, diffusing a pleasant odour. To this kind, according to Dr. Ainslie, the term 
googul is applied by the Tellingoos. The resin of both species is employed as incense in 
India, and both might be much more extensively collected than they at present are, as 
there is reason to believe that Central India alone furnishes the greatest portion of the 
Indian Olibanum of commerce; as it is chiefly exported from Bombay. From the 
affinity in vegetation between parts of Arabia, Persia, and India, it is not improbable 
but the genus Boswellia may extend into those countries, and afford that which is 
known as Arabian Olibanum. Canarium Benghalense is another plant of this tribe, 
which, according to Dr. Roxburgh, exudes an excellent clear amber-coloured resin, 
not. unlike copal. In America, as in India, several valuable resins, as Elemi, Carana, 
Chibou, and two or three kinds of Zacamahaca, are afforded by plants of this tribe. 
In the group of Amacardiee we have the well-known Pistacia vera, Terebinthus, and 
2A Lentiscus, 
