264 ODOROGRAPHIA. 



plantation at Lahore. In all 25 species have been tried, but out 

 of these, only three, E. rostrata, E. citriodora and E. resinifera, have 

 had any real success. The cause of the failure may be mainly 

 attributed to three sources — 1st, failure in the rains ; 2nd, injury 

 to the young stems by sunburn ; 3rd, and worst of all, the vi^hite 

 ants which attacked the tree by eating away the supporting roots." 

 The commercial situation of Eucalyptus oils generally, now 

 (Nov., 1893) appears to be in a rather critical state, owing to over- 

 production. 



Spikenard and Valerian. 



In Northern India the ancient Spikenard was long supposed by 

 Europeans to be derived from Androioogon Schmnanthus, Lin.,* and 

 in Southern India the name " jatamansi," the name of the true 

 spikenard, has been erroneously applied to tubers of the Cyjoerus 

 stoloniferus Eetz, and other sweet-smelling species of the genus 

 Cyperiis (which have also been designated " sumbul "). Persian 

 and Arabian writers mention Spikenard as " Sumbul," " Sumbul- 

 ul-teeb," " Sumbul-ul-Hind," or " Sumbul-i-Hindi," the latter term 

 being used to distinguish it from Valerian, which is sometimes 

 called " Sumbul " ; in fact the words " Nard " and " Sumbul " have 

 been very indiscriminately applied. The word Nard is Persian, 

 and the Persians, as the overland carriers of jatamansi between 

 India and Kirman, and Gerrha and Mesopotamia, communicated 

 their name for it to the Hebrews (Nerd), the Greeks (vapBo^;) and 

 the Eomans (Nardum). It is probable that the Persians modified 

 the word into their language from the Sanskrit word " Naladwitha." 

 The present Syrian and Arabic appellations simply mean " Spike " 

 or " Indian Spike " (Shehdltd sunhul). 



The drug is now identified with the product known in the 

 dialects of Bombay and Bengal (also in the Tamil vernacular with 

 somewhat different pronounciation) as jdtdmdnsi. It is known in 

 Hindee as Bcdcliar and Chhar, but the pronounciation of such 



* Blane, in Phil. Trans., Ixxx., p. 284. 



