114 ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON THE 



tain that any learned Arab would laugh at us, if we 

 were to tell him that the SwnbuhCl Hind grew wild 

 in abundance on the plains of Tahdmah. It seems a 

 bold allegation of Gar^ias, that he has exhibited 

 •' the only species of narchs known in India, either 

 " for consumption by the natives, or for exportation 

 " to Persia and Arabia'' If he meant that any 

 plant was either used in this country or exported 

 from it by the name of nard, he had been strangely 

 deceived; and if he meant, that it was the only 

 fragrant grass used here as a medicine, or as a per- 

 fume, his error was yet more gross. But, what- 

 ever his meaning might have been, if the nard of 

 G arc, ias and of Arrian was one and the same plant, 

 it is wonderful that it ever should have been exported 

 to Persia and Arabia, where it grew, we are told, in 

 so great abundance. The nard of Arabia was, pro- 

 bably, the Andropogok Sclutnanthus, which is a 

 native of that country : but, even if we suppose that 

 the spikenard of India was a reed ox a grass, we shall 

 never be able to distinguish it among the many Indian 

 species of Cypirns, Andropogon, Sch<eniis, Carex, and 

 other genera of those natural orders, which here form 

 a wilderness of sweets ; and some of which have not 

 only fragrant roots, but even spikes to the ancient and 

 modern semes of that emphatical word ; one of them, 

 which I never have seen in blossom, but suppose from 

 its appearance to be a Schtcntts, is even called Gunarda, 

 and its dry root has a most agreeable odour; another 

 which Rheede names Balaca, or Ramacc'uun, or white 

 Jriveli, and which Burman thought a variety of the 



SciuenanthuSy 



