45 
Europe to Asia Minor, through Siberia and Northern India to 
Mandshuria and Japan 
The following account, with a plate, is given by Dr, J. E. 
Aitchison, C.I.E., in the Transactions of the Linnean Society, 
2nd Ser. Bot. iii., p. 87, t. 87,0n the Botany of the Afghan Delimitation 
oR PES of 1884-85 
pocynum venetum, tins Boiss. Fl. Or. iv. p. = Mages eran 
Badghis ; 115, March 5, "1885. Native nam Dumb-i-roba, 
ndar, Dinh somata, Common in beds of reeni ‘and in a shy 
localities at Gulran, at an altitude of 2,000 feet. Stems about 4 feet 
high, springing from a viiner rootsto ck, and terminating in a panicle 
of flowers. The annual stems remain attached to the rootstocks, but 
by the action of the wind they are soon reduced to their fibrous element, 
and this is found in bunches, having the appearance of artificial 
preparation. My attention was attracted to them by the seed-vessels 
ok persistent on the battered branches. The fibre is a most excellent 
one, and the wonder is, as the plant seems to be common from Eastern 
Europe to China, that it has not heretofore been emplo yed in n manufac- 
tures. The bark of the oie a is employed in tanning the 
leather skins used as water bot 
oots of this plant were a ge Bahara nyang, whence we received 
flowering specimens for the Herbarium a 
A more persa pE of the plant sae eeu been received 
from Dr. Aitchis 
Dr. J. E: T. AITCHISON to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
DEAR Ae epi HOOKER Gulran, 8th March, 1883. 
E I wrote last to ‘you only a couple of days ago, I have come 
across a rar ase ee a fibre plant that grows in marshy land, 
amongst loam with sweet water, about 5 feet high, annual shoots from 
a Soi rootstock, and seih creeping thick r 
all noticed the shrub-like plant ii oe seed, and the seed 
flying > bei out of a pair of very ee pods that belong to the 
Apocynacez, the seeds with silky plumes. On examining the stems, 
bundles of several years’ collected to gullies the bases were covered 
with a mass of what looked like tow g naturally exfoliated from the 
standing stems by rubbing against each other during a wind), very 
silky, and a good fibre. This natural tow. with the fruits and seeds, I 
have sent you by sample post. The natives of the surrounding parts, 
wt Se | the Turcomans, say that ordinary twine and rope is made 
the fibre, but that a tribe of Turkomans, called Kayak, east of 
BoELAr: who live at a place called Kalla, manufactured cloth from this 
fibre. The natives here call that cloth Katan. The plant is called 
Dimb-e-roba (tail of seip or Dimb-e-Gosalla (tail of calf), this name, 
no doubt, due to the fluffy seed. 
The bark of the iookatintes is employ ed for tanning, or pened preparing, 
skins to hold water, and it is known as ei ao-gosh ” (¢ow’s ear). These 
skins become red in Peon and waterproof. 
valsky, mendon a cloth being made at 
Lobnor, in his travels, as xh Asclepia 
As I think it is likely to turn out a good thing, I have sent to 
Saharunpore a large number of the pt which were just showing 
eyes like potatos, and h ope they may su ceed. I have no doubt, if an 
have Prejevalsky’s species, that you will bé able to recognize my p. 
be 
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