344 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [Amentacee. 
common on the northern face of the Choor, at Muttiana, and at Seran in Lower 
Kunawur. P. pyriformis, nob., occurson Deobun. P. alba, Lin., common in Europe and 
the north of Asia, extends to the north of the Himalayas, as I have had specimens brought 
me from Kunawur. The native country of P. dilatata, or the Lombardy Poplar, seems 
to be quite unknown; some authors considering it a native of Italy, and others of 
America, while some even account it a hybrid. But from the following facts, I think 
there is little doubt of its having been brought to Europe from some Eastern country 
in former times, when the communication by the East and interchange of commodities 
was greater than in recent times. Understanding that a tree, which from the descrip- 
tion appeared to be a poplar, had been introduced from the Punjab, and was common 
in gardens to the north of the Jumna, I sent for it into the Saharunpore Botanic Garden. 
The slips obtained, grew well, and the plants were ten or twelve feet high, with the 
habit of the Lombardy Poplar, when I left Saharunpore; the specimens in my 
herbarium were immediately recognised by Mr. Don as those of P.dilatata. In Northern 
India it is called ghurb, and it is described in Persian works under this Arabic name, 
with Pers. wussuk and supuedan ; Hind. safueda. The two last having reference to the 
whiteness of some part of the plant, probably the wood. One of the Greek names 
given is ata, probably a corruption of s:«. The white poplar is generally supposed 
to be the ss Axx, of Theophrastus, simply Aawxy of’ Dioscorides. The ghurb, or 
Lombardy Poplar, is said in Persian works to be a native of Dailim and Tinkaboen, 
near the south shore of the Caspian. Mr. Baillie Fraser, I understand from Mr. Don, 
Says it is one of the most common trees in Persia, and is that usually taken for 
the cypress in Persian drawings. Dundar, Pers. daroon, is said to be a species of 
ghurb, and from the description of the seed it is probably one of the Salicinee. In 
the Latin translation of Avicenna, we are referred from dundar to Ulmus, the wrcAcw of 
Dioscorides ; but unless the description refers to galls, and not to the fruit, we cannot 
understand the comparison of the contents of its seeds to flies. 
Piatanus orientalis, a native of Asia’ Minor and the Oriental Region, doolb of the 
Arabs, and chinar of the Persians, by whom it is much esteemed on account of the 
grateful shade it affords, extends as far south as Cashmere; where its occurrence 
was first mentioned by Bernier, and whence I have received some very fine specimens. 
The Greek name has been converted into k/itanos in Persian works. 
The oaks, chestnuts, and others of the Amentacea, are so well known for their rich and 
luxuriant growth, and as forming the ornaments of European forests, that we can 
hardly fancy the so-much-boasted trees of tropical regions to be more magnificent. 
One thing is certain, that they do not furnish more valuable timber, whether we consider 
the English oak, or those found in the Himalayas. The bark of oaks, alders, birches, 
willows, and poplars, abounds in gallic acid and tannin, and all have therefore been 
_ frequently employed as tonics and febrifuges, as well as in tanning. Some are useful 
in dyeing, as Quercitron, the bark of the North American Quercus tinctoria, which dyes 
wool yellow. Gall-puts, called majoophul, are imported into India, being produced by 
the 
