of Western Afghanistan and North-Eastcrn Persia. 81 



LoxiCERA NUMMULARIFOLIA was Still more restricted in its 

 localities. The most extensive forest that I saw of this tree 

 was in Khorasan, to the sonth-west of Bezel, where it is dis- 

 tributed thinly over a good extent of conntry on the south- 

 western slopes of the hills, giving a very park-like feature 

 to the grassy uplands. 



Fox — roba, sdlah. 



Fox-tail — Apocyxum vexetum. 



Fraxinus oxyphylla, Bieb. Oleace^ ; and another species. 



The Ash, hanctush, hinaush, benaush. The seeds, tulclim-i- 

 hanaush. A large tree, cultivated in orchards, near houses, 

 and surrounding shrines. The wood is much valued for 

 ploughs and other agricultural implements ; next to the Elm 

 it is considered the best wood for oil-mills. The seeds are 

 held in esteem as a valuable medicine, and are imported 

 into Persia from Herat, where these trees are said to be 

 numerous. 



Fraxkixcexse: — OUbaiium, the gum -resin of Bos- 



WELLiA species. 

 French-beax — Phaseolus vulgaris. 

 Fruits. 



a. Cultivated fruits. 



The Afghans, Persians, and Turkomans live largely on 

 fruit, which, either fresh or dried, in one form or other, is 

 usually added to their ordinary diet ; when travelling they 

 always carry with them a small supply of dried fruits to be 

 eaten as they proceed upon their journeys. The portion of 

 the Hari-rud Valley that I visited produces little fruit, but 

 around Herat itself, and eastwards from it, the country is 

 said to be prolific in fruit, as is Khorasan. There is at 

 present none grown in the Badghis, yet Maimana is famed 

 for its fruits, especially its walnuts. The gardens of Herat 

 are celebrated for the fine and numerous varieties of grapes 

 produced in them, Turbat-i-haidri and Meshad in Khorasan 

 are equally so. Melons are grown everywhere ; the variety 

 sarcld, collected late in the season, is a fruit very largely 

 exported to India from Herat ; and the "Water-melon, 



TRANS. BOT. SOC. VOL. XVIII. L 



