CH. Tin. NATIVE TREES OF THE ATLAS. 177 



saw it in this condition in Marocco, and only by the help 

 of Algerian specimens could we have suspected the identity 

 of the two forms. Among many thorny bushes we saw 

 here one, first gathered the day before, near Tasseremout, 

 which Hooker at once pronounced to be a Celastrus. 

 This was first found in the South pf Spain, and de- 

 scribed as C. europcPMS by AI. Boissier, but is in truth 

 one of the many forms of G. senegalensis, a widely-spread 

 tropical species, that extends from India to the west coast 

 of Africa. 



Among other novelties, we here saw, for the first time, 

 a little annual stonecrop {Sedum modestum, Ball), that 

 nestles in hollow places under large stones, or about the 

 roots of trees ; but the most curious tropliy of our day's 

 work was a miniature bramble, lying flat on earthy banks, 

 with small, mostly undivided leaves, and very few minute 

 prickles. It is possible that the imperfect fruits that we 

 saw had been dried up by the sun ; but it seems more 

 likely that this belongs to the group of dry-fruited bram- 

 bles — the genus Daliharda of some botanists — hitherto 

 known only in America and Eastern Asia. 



We passed near to several villages ; but, as a rule, the 

 valley tracks in the Great Atlas are carried on one side, 

 and do not approach near to the houses. The valley grew 

 narrower as we advanced, and the moderately steep slopes 

 on either hand were covered with small trees of Callitris, 

 and Jxi^niperus phcenicea, none of them more than about 

 thirty feet in height. If this country were adminis- 

 tered by people capable of taking thought of its future 

 prosperity, the former tree might undoubtedly become an 

 important source of wealth. The beauty of the wood, if it 

 were only allowed to attain a sufficient size, would always 

 secure a ready market, even though it never reached the 

 extravagant price which, under the name of citrus wood, 

 it obtained in the days of Imperial Eome. The only use 

 which it serves in Marocco is the production of gum 

 Sandrac, of which a small quantity is exported to Europe. 



N 



