410 NATURAL HISTORY OF ARABIA. 



those common to India and Arabia, such as an Ipomcea, 

 resembling the rope-weed ; a Pancraticum, with a flower 

 of the purest white, which he called the sea-daffodil, and 

 a species of Hibiscus, whose flower is singularly large, 

 and of the brightest red colour. The Arabs are by no 

 means indifferent to the beauties of Flora, as the peasants 

 in many parts retain the ancient custom of crowning them- 

 selves on festive occasions with chaplets and garlands. 



There are certain plants used for purposes of domestic 

 economy, while others are universally esteemed for their 

 medicinal qualities. A mean-looking herb like orache is 

 mentioned by Forskal, and ranked by him as a distinct 

 genus by the name of Suceda, which affords abundance of 

 an alkaline salt excellent for whitening linen, and em- 

 ployed instead of soap by the common people. Burckhardt 

 states, that the Bedouins of Wady Genne, near Sinai, 

 use for the same purpose the herb ajrem, which they dry 

 and pound between two stones. In the same valley he 

 found several people occupied in collecting shrubs, which 

 they burn into charcoal for the Cairo market. The thick 

 roots of the rethern(\he Genista rcetan of Forskal), which 

 grows there in great plenty, is the kind they prefer. For 

 its well-known properties in dyeing, the indigo-shrub (7w- 

 digofera, Linn.) is universally cultivated here, blue being 

 the favourite colour of the Arabs. We are told, that when 

 this plant happens to be scarce the natives contrive to ex- 

 tract indigo from a species of Poll/gala. The common 

 kali (Salsola kali, Linn.) grows in great abundance on 

 the coasts and in the islands of the Red Sea. There is one 

 plant which, though not a native of Arabia, deserves to be 

 noticed, as it serves a very important economical purpose 

 both in that country and in Egypt. It is a gray- coloured 

 herb, called schcebe, an infusion of which, mixed with a 

 certain quantity of meal, forms a leaven for the fermenta- 

 tion both of bread and beer. This is considered essential 

 to the process of brewing, and it communicates an agree- 

 able taste to the liquor. Upon examining this herb, For- 

 skal found it to be a lichen of the plum-tree, of which 

 several shiploads were then annually imported from the 

 Archipelago into Alexandria. Among the new genera dis- 

 covered by the Danish botanist, several were distinguish- 

 ed for their curious properties. The Polycephalus sua- 

 veolens, which resembles the thistle, has at a distance the 

 appearance of a heap of loose balls, each of which encloses 



