296 Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 



Pistacia terebinthus, known and described by Dioscorides, 

 Theophrastus, and Pliny. Gnat-like insects breed in the leaves, 

 the cuticles of which, by being punctured, become fungous, 

 and swell into fleshy follicles, of a bright scarlet hue, strong 

 resinous odour, and clammy feel, full of turpentine. " These 

 are so abundant, sometimes, as to cover the whole surface of 

 the tree, and give it the appearance of bearing rich flowers or 

 fruit. The trunk of the tree, when perforated, yields abund- 

 antly that fine resinous oil called Cyprus turpentine. For its 

 aromatic quality, the Greeks and Armenians plant the tree in 

 their cemeteries, as they do the cypress. Here the Turks 

 make them butts to discharge their topheks or pistols at ; the 

 stems, therefore, are all perforated, and continually, in the 

 season, stream with turpentine. There is one in the British 

 palace garden, which has been noticed by Sestini and others, 

 for its size and remarkable beauty : it measures twelve feet in 

 circumference, rises nearly as high as the top of the palace, 

 and shades a circle of one hundred and eighty yards. Not- 

 withstanding their size, they are sometimes epiphitical, grow- 

 ing out of other trees. A phenomenon of this kind exists at 

 the promontory of Chalcasdon, where an enormous pistacia 

 is growing out of a more enormous cypress ; and this is noticed 

 by Andreossi in his work sur le Bosphore. They grow 

 every where among the ruins of the walls of Constantinople, 

 particularly in the breach where the Turks entered, " mark- 

 ing," as Clarke says, " the spot where the last of the Paleologi 

 fell." 



Pistacia lentiscus, common in the days of Theophrastus and 

 Dioscorides, as at present, in the island of Scio, and producing 

 then as now, great abundance of the transparent gum called 

 mastic. It is much used by Turkish women to preserve their 

 teeth and improve their breath. 



Smilax aspera and excelsa ; described by Theophrastus ; 

 common in the woods and hills of the Bosphorus ; and the 

 roots are used in decoctions as a substitute for sarsaparilla. 

 " S. excelsa climbs to the top of the highest trees, and de- 

 scending in streaming branches, forms a lofty green wall by 

 the road side, which looks curious ; and when covered with 

 a profusion of rich red berries, in Autumn, is very beautiful. 

 It is well adapted for forming arbours." 



Euonymus Europaeus var. The aril is of a rich scarlet, 

 which, when the pod opens, becomes conspicuous and re- 

 markable. 



Cassia sp. ? The leaves are used for those of senna, to 

 which they have a strong resemblance. 



