GUMS AND GUM-RESINS. 



Estis, Luban, Hind. Koondur-zuchir, Guz. Aivul-goondur> Dec. 

 Paranghi-samlrani, Tarn. Luban, Cundur, Bistuj, Arab. Luban, 

 Koonder, Labanvja, Syr. 



Habitat. Coromandel. 



Remarks. The source of (Indian) OLTBANUM. As under B. papyri- 

 fera, Hucli. in the class " Drugs " the Indian synonymes were included, 

 so here I have included the Arabian, Persian, and Syrian, although 

 Indian Olibanum is not known there, and my procedure in regard to the 

 trees is perhaps objectionable. Under the class of Drugs I adopted B* 

 papyri/era as the source of the OLIBANUM of commerce, but suggested 

 that other African and Arabian Boswellias might contribute to it, and 

 referred to the inquiries I had set on foot to determine the question, 

 Captain Play fair has taken the greatest pains to obtain all the Olibanum 

 trees to be found in the Soumali country, and through his exertions the 

 following results have been so far reached. There are three trees in the 

 Soumali country : 



1st Yegaar, yielding the Luban Maitee, of the Arabs, 

 2nd Mohr Add, 

 3rd Mohr Madow, 



both yielding the Luban Sheheri of the Arabs, "possibly," writes Captain 

 Playfair, " because it is principally taken to the Shehr and Makulla 

 market from the African coast." 



Each of these, so far as can be judged from the leaves, is distinct from 

 the plant described and figured by Carter, Vol. ii. of the Journal of the 

 Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, as B. thurifera (?), and after- 

 wards identified by Stocks with B. papyi'ifera. No plant amongst those 

 sent by Captain Playfair being like his plant, which moreover he found in 

 Arabia, Dr. Carter began to doubt Stock's reference, and expressed the 

 opinion that Mohr Madow would prove to be Hochstetter's plant. There 

 can be little doubt of this, judging from the leaves. There are, then, 

 three known African Olibanum trees. 



Boswellia papyri/era, or Mohr Madow t 



? or Mohr Add, 



' ? or Yegaar ; 



and one Arabian described in 1847 by Carter, but not yet named. Captain 

 Playfair says there are other species in Africa, but he has never been 

 able to get at them. Dr. Vaughan, Vol. xii. No. v. of the Pharmaceu- 

 tical Journal, states Luban Shaharree (or Morbat] to be the name of 

 Arabian Olibanum, which disagrees with what Captain Playfair says of 

 Luban Sheheri ; but as in a subsequent reprint of Dr. Vaughan's paper, 

 no Arabic name for ARABIAN OLIBANUM (see class " Drugs") is given, the 

 reference first made may be assumed perhaps as having proved untenable. 

 The Museum is very rich in its collection of Olibanum. B. thurifera is 

 Roxburgh's B. serrata. 

 263 



