Vad 
they grow there spontaneously, have never been seen to 
flower, possibly because they are annually burnt down together 
with other weeds. There are however, in Leytimor, hills which 
also produce the grass and are not so frequently fired, and yet the 
Siree growing there never flowers, ‘ 
“Name. In Latin Juncus odoratus or Schoenanthum Amboini- 
cum; but as it is common in many provinces, it might well be 
pe Schoenanthum Indicum sterile, to distinguish it from the 
rabian. 
“(The Schoenanthum) which we describe here, occurs in all 
the Malayan provinces, Java, Balaya and here in the Eastern region, 
in gardens as well as spontaneously on breezy mountains among 
sedges, particularly where the soil is brown and sharp rocks 
underlie it as on Siree Hill, east of Castle Victoria, and on another 
near Naco on the south side of Leytimor, where there have been 
no gardens. The flowering Schoenanthum grows in Ternate, and 
several other islands in the Moluccas, as for instance in our 
neighbourhood in Nussatello, everywhere planted in gardens. 
“On account of its pleasant aroma it is in these islands more used 
for culinary than medicinal purposes, and almost exclusively the 
bottom part of the leaf-tufts which form the ventricose stalks and 
can easily be pulled from the root whilst the tops are cut off to a 
hand’s length. 
**'T'wo or three of those stalks are tied together and cooked with 
all sorts of fish; this imparts a pleasant scent to the gravy and 
is wholesome for the stomach as well as the bowels; for the 
Schoenanthum owing to its acrid and attenuating powers dilutes 
the slimy humours which one contracts in this country from the 
daily fish food. It also drives out urine, sweat and the menses ; 
but if the system by daily use gets inured to it these effects make 
themselves felt less strongly unless it is used in larger quantities. 
« They treat the Amboina tree-wine ‘ Sagueer’ with it so that it 
- keeps several months and can be shipped over sea. This is done 
by adding to each pot of 16 cans of fresh ‘Sagueer’ two handfuls 
of the stout stalks mentioned above, a few pieces of ginger, one or 
two nutmegs cut up in slices, and three or four eggs, all boiled 
together, and afterwards pouring the wine off into casks. It is a 
fierce drink, but very wholesome for mariners; and soldiers who 
are camping out and commonly contract dropsy, ought to derive 
much relief from that beverage. 
“The root together with the bottom part of the stalks if half- 
boiled with water makes an excellent gargle for rinsing the 
mouth of a person who suffers much from toothache and swelling 
of the gums, which may be recognised from the swelling being 
hard and tight, but unaccompanied by sharp pricks. | 
“Herr Herbertus de Jager takes our Siree by no means for 
the true Schoenanthum, nor do I, but merely as a species of 
Schoenanthum.” 
Since Rumphius practically nothing has been added to our 
knowledge of the Sereh grass as it is found and used in Malaya. 
Its universal distribution in the archipelago, as a garden herb, has 
been confirmed, but no proof has been forthcoming as to it having 
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