418 | LEGUMINOSAE. 
Hab.—N.-W. Provinces, Upper Gangetic plain and Concan, 
The plant and manna. 
Vernacular.—The plant, Jawdsa (Hind.), Javaso (Guz.), Giri- 
karmika (Ted.) ; the manna, Taranjabin. 
ALHAGI CAMELORUM, Fisch. 
Hab.—Khorasan. The Manna. 
Vernacular.—The plant, Khér-i-buz,; Khar-i-shutr (Pers.) ; 
the manna, Taranjabin. 
History, Uses, &¢C.—These plants, in Sanskrit Dur- 
4labha (difficult to be laid hold of), in Persian Khér-i-buz or 
Khér-i-shutr, and in Arabic Haj, or Algoul, are natives of the 
deserts of Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia, and India as 
far south as the Concan, and have been supposed by some to be 
the Occhi of Pliny, and the dedvéé év Apia or ‘ Khorasan Thorn’ 
of Theophrastus.* Mahometan writers give Fardkiyun or — 
Athériyun as the Yun4ni names, both evidently post-classical ; 
the first appears to be derived from ¢épo to bear and ky, & 
a point or dart, and the second from déjp a spike or spine. 
A Persian manna probably obtained from these plants is men- 
tioned by Polyzenus, A. D. 163, under the name of doy péd. 
In the hot season when all the smaller plants die they send 
forth leaves and flowers. -The generic name is derived from 
the Arabic Al-haju, which is pronounced by the Egyptian 
Arabs El-hagu. The plants are described in Sanskrit works as 
laxative, diuretic and expectorant, the thorny flower stalks and 
branches being the parts used. An extract obtainable by eva- 
porating a decoction of A. Maurorunviscalled Yavasakaré ; it has 
a bitter sweet taste, and is used as ademulcent in coughs. There 
is no mention in Sanskrit books of manna being obtained from 
the plant; indeed none is produced upon it in India. The - 
Hindus use the fresh juice as a diuretic, generally in combina- 
* év dé ty ‘Apia xdpa kadoupéyn dxavOd dor ep js yiverat Sdxpvoy Spovoy 
TH cpupyn Kat TH der Kai ri} Gopi. rodro 8¢ drav émiddpwyy 6 HAvos KaTappe> 
4 ee 
—Hist. Plant. iv. 4. 
Ss 
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