ECONOMIC PLANTS WORTHY OF INTRODUCTION. 



35 



I may also mention Gitrullus colocynthis, a medicinal plant. The 

 fruit grows wild and is gathered for export, chiefly to the United 

 States. The region in which it grows best is a sandy desert between 

 Gaza and El-Arish. 



There are other wild plants useful as vegetables, etc. ; for in- 

 stance, Gundelia toumefortii, the " Akub ,: of the Arabs, which 

 grows wild in rocky localities. Its white, juicy shoots are gathered 

 by women and eaten like artichokes. Cargoes of this plant are 

 shipped along the coast from the rocky regions around Haifa, par- 

 ticularly to Beirut. It is a very good vegetable and worthy of recom- 

 mendation. Its leaves are somewhat spiny when fully developed, 

 but bv selection this slight defection could easilv be overcome. 



Fig. 11. — The watermelon market at Jaffa. 



I may also mention the wild Gynara syriaca and Gynara auranitica, 

 closely related to the cultivated artichoke. The former grows in the 

 damp soils of the low plains along the coast ; the latter in the deep, 

 dry soils of the high plateaus of the Trans-Jordan. Their improve- 

 ment and their use for crossing are to be recommended. 



Among the plants particularly adapted to desert regions is Tamarlx 

 aiiiculata, the "Athl " of the Arabs. Its galls are used for tannin. 

 It grows well in sand dunes and has been successfully cultivated in 

 southern Tunis. This tree is easily propagated by cuttings and 

 appears to me to be well adapted to the southwestern United States. 



Another desert plant, Galligonum comosum, resembles Zizyphus 

 lotus in its habit of growth. It is even more useful than the latter 

 for the fixation of sand dunes. It sends out roots 65 to 100 feet 



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