BURNING BUSH 



smelling substances, Myrrh, Cassia, Bdellium, etc., come 

 from these sunny Eastern lands, which are not exactly 

 deserts but very close to them. Manna, e.g., is obtained from 

 the flowering Ash (^Fraxinus ormus) in Sicily by transverse 

 incisions being made in the bark, so that the brownish or 

 yellowish viscid juice exudes and hardens on the wound. 

 Ladanum is a varnish or gluey coating found on the leaves of 

 Cistus creticus^ which grows in Crete. In old times the glue 

 was collected from the beards of the goats which had been 

 browsing on the plant. Although this method, no doubt, 

 increased the strength of the perfume, it has been abandoned, 

 and the ladanum is obtained by a "kind of rake with a 

 double row of long leathern straps." The straps take the 

 glue from the leaves. It is used as a perfume in Turkey. 



Another very interesting Eastern plant sometimes seen in 

 old-fashioned country gardens in Britain is the "Burning- 

 bush " (Dictamnus fraxinella). Like a great many of these 

 half-desert plants, it is full of an acrid, ethereal, odorous 

 substance. On a calm, hot summer's day, this material 

 exudes from the leaves and surrounds the plant with an 

 invisible vaporous atmosphere. Such an atmosphere prob- 

 ably £issists in preventing the water from evaporating or 

 being transpired from the leaves.^ 



Now if one places a lighted match a little below the leaves 

 or flowers this vapour catches fire, and there is a display 

 of flames and smoke with little explosions, followed by a 

 strong smell. The plant may be injured if it is set on fire 

 too frequently, but generally does not seem to be any the 

 worse for the experiment. 



The Mediterranean is the home of the Myrtle and Olive, 

 of Oranges and Lemons, of Figs and Vines, of Almonds and 

 * This was suggested by Tyndall, but has been denied by others. 



"S 



