ON THE IDENTITY OF 
KIRSANNA 
BY 
F. Tracy HuBBArbD 
In September 19380 Dr. C. S. Coon of the Peabody 
Museum submitted specimens of seed for identification 
under the name of Kirsanna. These had been collected 
for him in Morocco by Gordon Browne in the Valley of 
the Iherrushen where they are grown by the Tribe of 
Gzennaya, Rif. 
The following notes of economic interest in regard 
to this seed were furnished by Dr. Coon. In the Rif 
the seeds are used for making bread after they have been 
thoroughly soaked to extract the poisonous element 
which they contain. They are placed in flat wicker 
baskets and weighted down in streams and allowed to 
remain until the poisonous element is judged to be re- 
moved. In the Rif the Berber vernacular name of the 
seed is Shasanna and the Arabic name is Kirsanna. 
Dr. Coon further states that the name of the seed in 
Armenia is Kushna and that it is used there for feed- 
ing cattle after the poisonous element has been removed 
by soaking. 
After several unsuccessful attempts the seed was 
finally grown to maturity at the Botanical Garden and 
proves to be Vicia Hrvilia (1..) Willd. 
