THE AFGHAN DELIMITATION COMMISSION. 25 
rocks; finally Codonocephalum Peacockianum and a Hyoscyamus, perhaps a variety of 
H. Senecionis, the last creeping amongst the boulders. 
At 6000 feet the hill became very barren, and such plants as flourished were grazed 
to a sward by the sheep. Much of this herbage consisted of a Pedicularis, of which I 
could not obtain a single good flowering or fruiting specimen, together with Alyssum 
persicum, Hypericum scabrum, several species of Echinospermum, and Ji urinee, Geranium 
collinum, Onobrychis in immense broad hummocks, Zrysimum persipolitanum and a new 
one-flowered Astragalus (A. Durandianus), Gaillonia, Paracarywm, and Реегоруғит. 
In traversing the northern slopes of these hills, at an elevation of 5000 feet, I saw 
plateaus covered with Егеттгі, chiefly E. alge and Е. aurantiacus; but my principal 
object was to visit the locality where the bulk of the gum called Katira was collected for 
exportation. I found it was the product of Astragalus heratensis and another species, 
near 4. strobilifera, Royle, growing like miniature oaks. "The gum tragacanth or Katira 
was collected from natural exudations from cracks in the bark of the lower branches 
and near the root. І also went to see a forest of trees called here Kinjak, the leaves of 
which are employed in dyeing. From the description of it given me, I thought it might 
prove something new; however, it turned out to be Pistacia vera in a wild condition, 
and bearing barren fruit. 1 was glad to be able to visit and see these trees for 
myself; otherwise I should have always fancied that in this part of Persia another tree 
existed of which I had collected no specimens. It is curious to note that the Persians 
will not admit that Pistacia vera exists as а wild tree in this neighbourhood. Here 
also I saw thin forests of Lonicera nummularifolia yielding fair timber. At about the 
same altitude, Juniperus excelsa was а good-sized tree and common. Hummocks of 
Astragalus angustifolius, and with it Acanthophyllum macrodon, having a similar habit. 
The roots of the latter are largely collected and employed as a substitute for soap. In 
some places barley and wheat were growing without irrigation; and in these fields 
Gladiolus Kotschyanus was prevalent. In many of the villages in Khorasan, but more 
particularly at Rui-khauf, I found Pinus halepensis, cultivated in long rows on the 
windward sides of orchards for protection. ОЁ these there were some very fine trees 
fully 100 feet high and nine feet in circumference. 
GENERALIZATIONS ON THE FLORA or NORTH-WEST AFGHANISTAN. 
The flora of North-western Afghanistan differs much from the typical flora of Eastern 
Afghanistan, so graphically described by Hooker and Thomson in their introductory essay 
to the ‘Flora Indica.’ On comparison of data, I have been led to the conclusion that 
this difference is due to climatic conditions. Тһе winter js much more severe and of 
longer duration at similar altitudes than that experienced in Eastern Afghanistan, the 
temperature falling several degrees below zero (Fahrenheit), and snow lying for some 
days at an altitude of 2000 feet. In spring the persistence of damp and cold is also 
more prolonged—rain, which at any moment might be converted into sleet and snow, 
occurring occasionally as late in the season as the end of May. The highest temperature 
is in July and August, reaching 105? in the shade; and although the summer is very 
SECOND SERIES.—BOTANY, VOL. III. E 
