426 Mr. G. Munby on the Botanical Productions 



XLIV. — On the Botanical Productions of the Kingdom of Algiers, 

 followed by a short notice of the supposed Manna of the Israel- 

 ites. By Giles Munby, Esq.* 



Since the occupation by the French in 1830 of the kingdom of 

 Algiers^ but Httle has been done to advance the knowledge of its 

 natural-history productions_, and_, if we except the ' Travels 'of our 

 own countryman Dr. Shaw, who visited Barbary about a century 

 ago, and the ' Flora Atlantica ' of Desfontaines, no work has ever 

 been published devoted to the natural history of this country. 

 The vegetation of the coast of Barbary resembles in a great 

 measure that of the Spanish and French shores of the Mediter- 

 ranean ; but although the general features of its flora are the 

 same, many species of plants are found in Barbary w^hich are 

 unknown to the continent of Europe. 



A botanist of the North of Europe is struck by the quantity of 

 prickly pears [Cactus Opuntia) and American aloes [Agave ame- 

 ricana), which, with a few date-palms scattered here and there, 

 give a tropical appearance to the vegetation. The same feature 

 is however observed on the Spanish coast near Malaga and the 

 southern provinces. 



The dwarf palm [Cham(srops humilis) is another plant common 

 to both regions, and in Algeria covers immense tracts of country, 

 resembling fields of grass or young corn, as this palm very sel- 

 dom produces a trunk. They sometimes rise to the height of 

 20 feet in the neighbourhood of some Marabout or Saint's tomb, 

 which may probably depend on the care taken of them in such a 

 situation. This plant is one of the most useful that the country 

 produces. The leaves are made into baskets, cords, fans, sacks, 

 sleeping mats, &c. The fibre which surrounds the stalks of the 

 leaves, spun with camels' hair, serves to make the Arab tent. 

 The centre of the plant, consisting of the tender foot-stalks of 

 the leaves and the young flowers and their sheaths, forms one of 

 the principal articles of food for the Arabs during a certain sea- 

 son of the year, and I have seen wandering tribes going about 

 with their donkeys loaded with these roots and no other provi- 

 sion. The fruit ripens in autumn, and is eaten by jackals and by 

 the Arab shepherds ; but although sweet, its astringency renders 

 it unfit for a European palate. 



The Cactus Opuntia, called in the country Kermous ensarah, or 

 Christians' fig, is another plant which furnishes in due season 

 the Arab his nourishment. This fruit ripens in July and con- 

 tinues until the autumnal rains in September or October ; it is 



* Communicated by the Author ; having been read before the British 

 Association at the Meeting held at Birmingham, Sept. 12, 1849. 



