MISCELLANEOUS. 



Aiidropogon Schoenanthus. Linn. 



Linn. Syst. Triandria Digynia. 



Vernacular. Siree, Amboyna. 

 Habitat. Amboyna. 



Remarks. Under this name, three species have apparently been con- 

 founded, viz. 1st, the Siree of Amboyna; 2nd, Lemon- yr ass, supra; and 

 3rd, the CameVs Hay of Arabia, the Juncus odoralus or Fccnum camelo- 

 rum of old writers, and it may be presumed the vxolvos fvospos of Dios- 

 eorides, as he states that the best came from Nabnteea ; although some 

 have identified a-^oivos with Lemon-yrass. The Arabs call Gamers Hay 

 Helsi-meccaviy and Idhir-mecchi (Ilasselquist). Also Izheer. 



Cynodoil Dactylon. Pers. Creeping Cynodon* 



Linn. Sijst. Triandria Digynia. 



Vernacular. See " Fodder. " 

 Habitat. Europe, India. 



Iteinarks. This is the Dnrra of the Yedas, commonly called Dub ; and 

 the aypaoTts of the Greeks. See " Fodder." 



Poa cynosuroides. Rets.. 



Liitn. Ryfit. Triandria Digynia, 



Vernacular. Cu-sha, Bbr&&a, Pavitra, Cusa, Sans. Koosha, Beng. 

 llisid. Did ? Hind. Koosk, By. 



Habitat. East and West Indies. Egypt. 



Remarks. Sir W. Jones stales that every law-book, and almost every 

 poem iu Sanscrit, contains frequent allusions to the holiness of this plant, 

 and quotes from the fourth Veda the following address to it "at the end of 

 a terrible incantation" : 



"Thee, O Darbha, the learned proclaim a divinity not subject 



to age or death ; thee they call the armour of INDRA, the preserver of 

 regions, the destroyer of enen.ies ; a gem that gives increase to the field. 

 At the time when the ocean resounded, the clouds murmured, and 

 lightnings flashed, then was Darbha produced, pure as a drop of fine 

 gold." 



From Dr. Haug's recent work on the Zend-Avesta, and religion of 

 the Parsees, it appears that the Parsees give the name of Kvsha to the 

 Itaiecma, or bundle of twigs, required by their priests when reciting 

 l/i'schne. These twigs are of TJdumlara (Ficus ylomerata, Oowbar). 



