138 CHAPTER XVIIL 



at any rate find the sun too much for them. The 

 phyllodes of these Acacias, and the phyllode-like leaves 

 of the Eucalyptus, also an Australian plant, avoid the 

 force of the sun by presenting their edge to the sky. 



A. dealbata, A. Farnesiana, A. lophanta, and 

 some other species, have true leaves, not phyllodes. 



It is curious that in some species, for instance 

 Acacia Salicina, the seedling reverts to pinnate leaves, 

 whereas the older plant has only phyllodes. In like 

 manner the young Eucalyptus does not show its long 

 scimitar-shaped leaves. 



Alphonse Karr, the litterateur and naturalist of 

 the Riviera, in his " Voyage autour de mon Jardin," 

 Letter vii., explains at length the mystic meaning of 

 the Acacia in Masonry. How did he obtain this 

 information ? Though uninitiated, he knows a great 

 deal more about the craft than many free and accepted 

 Masons. I fear that M. Alphonse has been guilty of 

 eavesdropping ! 



The Shittah Tree, of which the Tabernacle was 

 constructed, is supposed to be an Acacia (A. Seyal), 

 the only tree which grows to any size in the Arabian 

 desert, and the same from which gum arabic is 

 obtained. This tree is mentioned in Isaiah xli. 19. 



Some commentators see in the Burning Bush of 

 Moses a thorny Acacia (A. Nilotica), called Seneh in 

 Hebrew. This tree gives its name to Sinai and to 

 the Desert of Sin. Neither of these two interesting 

 species appears to be cultivated on the Iviviera. 



Many Syrian plants, such as the Oleander, 

 Terebinth, Jujube, Arundo, Olive, Palm, Fig, &c., will 

 be found in other chapters. 



