Asphodelee. THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS. © 391 
as well for the great strength as the fineness of its fibre. It has been cultivated 
in New Holland, and might be so in North-western India, where Vucca gloriosa is 
quite at home. It grows well in Ireland, and also in the south of England, but the 
plants in the Apothecaries’ garden at Chelsea were killed by the severe frost of Jan. 1838. 
Sanseviera guineensis, or African Bow-string Hemp, a native for a great extent of the 
western coast of Africa, has been proposed as a substitute for the former, and its 
fibre is stated to be of nearly equally good quality. This is confirmed by the nearly 
allied Indian species of Sanseviera ; 8. Roxburghiana, (S. zeylanica, Roxb. Corom. Plants, 
t. 42), Sans. moorva ; Beng. moorba ; yielding it of a fine, and at the same time of very 
strong quality, fitted for bow-strings, fishing-lines, as well as for cordage, which indeed 
is made from it on the Coromandel coast. Dr. Roxburgh is of opinion, that the fine 
fibres, called China grass, are made from this plant, which he strongly recommends, 
as a profitable cultivation in sandy soils in Southern India; where the African S. gui- 
neensis would itself succeed well. I see by the proceedings of the Agricultural Society 
of India, ‘that my friend, Mr. Greenlaw, Secretary to the Marine Board, states, that 
it is proposed to try the fibre of S. Roxburghiana on a large scale for ropes. 
181. ASPHODELEZ. 
The Asphodelee are divided by Endlicher into the three tribes of Hyacinthee, Anthe- 
ricee, and Asparagee, with some genera allied to each of these tribes, as well as to 
Asphodelez in general. Species of all three tribes are found within the limits of the 
Indian Flora. Some, frequently referred to in the works of Oriental authors, are either 
natives of the Persian region, as Muscari botryoides and Hyacinthus orientalis ; the latter 
found also in Barbary and the south of Europe, and abundant about Aleppo and 
Bagdad. This, as referred to as zunbul-indi in some European works, appears to be 
the plant mentioned in Persian works in use in India, by the name soombul-farsee. 1t 
would be extremely interesting to have genuine specimens of these, as well as of the 
Flora in general of Persia, to enable us to recognize many of the plants which were 
introduced into Europe by way of Constantinople during the middle ages. 
Scilla, an ill-defined genus, has had several species separated from it. Dr. Roxt 
has described two plants, which he has referred to the genus, S. coromandeliana and 
S. indica ; the former is unknown, but is described by him as a native of the sand-hills 
of the Coromandel coast. It may be the same with S. polyphylla of Dr.Wallich, Cat, 
No. 5062, from the above locality. .S. indica is mentioned as a native of the sandy 
shores of many parts of India. Dr.Wallich has inserted it in his Catalogue, No. Gata, 
by the name, 8. Cundria, from Monghir, Saluen in Burma, and also frome the ingen. 
Peninsula, and which I have found at Rajpore, and in the jungles near. Bie, sas well asin 
the Kheree Pass, in 30° of N. latitude. In most points of structure, this ee agrees 
with Scilla maritima, now formed by Steinheil into a new genus, Urginea (Squilla, 
indley, Fl. Med.), with Anthericum fugar, &c. . 
per aa grown in the Mussooree Experimental Garden from we 
