408 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARABIA. 



There are in Arabia a considerable number of vegetable 

 productions common to other regions, both of a colder 

 and a warmer climate. In the highlands, plants grow 

 which are found in the northern parts of Europe ; while 

 in the plains and valleys may be seen species that are to 

 be met with in India and Africa, and which have pro- 

 bably been introduced by settlers from these countries. 

 Niebuhr has remarked, however, that where there are in 

 Europe various species of any genus of plants, the Ara- 

 bian species of the same genus are almost all new ; while 

 no such diversity is observed in those which are common 

 to Arabia with India. So little known were the indigenous 

 plants of Yemen, that Forskal was obliged to form no 

 less than thirty new genera, besides a variety of doubtful 

 species which he could hardly venture to include under 

 any generic arrangement. Of the 800 specimens which 

 he has described, it is unnecessary for our purpose to do 

 more than allude to a few that may be considered remark- 

 able for their novelty or their usefulness. 



Vegetables. The Arabs cultivate several pot-herbs that 

 are common in our garden s, such as carrots, turnips, beans, 

 onions, leeks, garlick, asparagus, beet, spinach, lettuce, a 

 very delicate purslain with sharp leaves, a sort of radish of 

 which the leaves only are eaten, water-cresses, besides an 

 immense variety of gourds, cucumbers, pumpkins, and me- 

 lons ; of the two latter there is a sort that grows wild in the 

 woods, and serves for feeding camels. The proper melons 

 are reared in the fields, and in such abundance that the 

 natives of all ranks use them for some part of the year as 

 their chief article of food. When nearly ripe the fruit is 

 pierced into the pulp ; this aperture is then stopped with 

 wax, and the melon left upon the stalk. By means of this 

 simple process, the pulp in a few days is converted into a 

 delicious liquor. Of Indian vegetables naturalized in Ara- 

 bia, Forskal enumerates a Sida and Hibiscus, resembling 

 our mallows ; a Jussieea, the Betel, a beautiful species of 

 Acanthus, and Bunias somewhat like our cabbages, the 

 leaves of which are eaten boiled. There are other In- 

 dian plants which the Arabs eat raw by way of salad ; a 

 Stapelia, a Cleome not unlike mustard; a Dolichos and 

 Glycyne, resembh'ng French beans, are very common in 

 Yemen, and so beautiful when ripe that they are strung 

 into necklaces and bracelets, which are highly esteemed. 

 There are some culinary vegetables that require no cul- 



