Rosacee.] THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS. . 205 
men Apricot is very abundant round almost every village in the Himalayas, ren- 
dering it difficult to ascertain whether it be ever found wild, as the trees remain the 
only rceiages of deserted villages. It has been supposed to be a native of the Oases of 
Egypt, in consequence of its name burkook being probably the original of the old term 
apricoke and Precocia ; but as that is its name in the Arabic language which prevails, 
like the apricot, over a great extent of the Oriental region, the same name is likely to be 
every where applied to it. At Caubul it is said to be preserved in fourteen different 
ways, with and without the stones, or the kernel left, or an almond substituted (Burnes). 
It is generally brought in this state into N. India, under the name khoobanee; the Arabic 
name is mishmish ; in Bokhara, where they are particularly fine, they are called bakur- 
khanee. In the Himalayas the fruit is called zurd-aloo, chooloo, and chinaroo: in 
Kunawur the fruit is dried on the tops of their houses, and when pounded, mixed with 
their meal. It is chiefly cultivated on account of the beautiful oil which is expressed 
from the kernels. These may also be found in the bazars, under the name of badam- 
kohee, or hill-almonds. The oil has a slight smell of hydrocyanic acid, and must 
resemble that from almonds, especially the bitter kind, or that obtained from Prunus 
brigantiaca. 
Specimens of the Cherry or aloo-baloo, which I obtained from Cashmere, appear to Dr. 
Lindley not to differ from the common species, which therefore is probably that met with 
at Caubul, perhaps also at Bokhara. The fruit of Cerasus Puddum, common in the 
Himalayas, is not edible, but is employed for making a well-flavoured cherry-brandy, 
though not distilled like the hirschenwasser ; the bark pudmak is used in medicine, as is that 
of species of cherry in the United States and Mexico. Cerasus undulata and capricida, 
the last so called from the leaves being poisonous to goats; and C. cornuta, remarkable 
for its pod-like monstrosity, are handsome and showy trees growing on lofty moun- 
tains, and worthy of introduction into England. 
The Plum is known in India in a dried state, under the name of aloo-bokhara, though 
chiefly cultivated about Ghuzni. It was seen by Lieut. Burnes, both at Koondooz and 
Bokhara, whence it may originally have been introduced into the kingdom of Caubul. 
Specimens of the plants from Cashmere appear to Dr. Lindley to be a new species, 
Prunus Bokhariensis, nob. To this kind, kokamalis (xoxxvyndsx) is applied as the 
Greek name in Persian works on Materia Medica. From Irki, near Sabathoo, a small, 
yellow, thin-skinned and very juicy sweet plum was introduced into the Sabarunpore 
Garden, and which, though I considered to be a new species (P. aloocha), is very like a 
variety of the common plum. It is this, probably, which is called greengage by travellers. 
Mr. Moorcroft also mentions a plum in Ludak, Cerasus tomentosa, Wall. Cat. N. 715. 
Prunus triflora, Roxb.,.is a plum now common in gardens in India, which Dr. Roxburgh 
states was originally introduced from China. The peach, apricot, cherry, and plum, 
all exude gum in Northern India. 
Of the Pomacee, the Quince-plants, introduced from Cashmere, do not differ from 
those already in India, Cydonia vulgaris, Pers. The seeds bikee dana, being mucila- 
ginous 
