OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 253 



which we recognize the "laktouka sulvgstris " of the Romans identified in Syn. Diosc. with the "aima 

 titanou" of the prophets, *EPOYA* BPOE of Zoroaster, — and "agria thrithax" described by 

 Dioscorides as bitter to the taste, with juice having similar properties and sometimes mixed with that 

 of the poppy: L. virosa was observed by Sestini near Constantinople (Sibth.) ; by Forskal p. 215, at 

 the Dardanelles and near Alexandria in Egypt; and by Delile, near Cairo. Westward, "lactucae 

 atrae " abounding in milk " meconis vocatur a copia lactis soporiferi " is mentioned by Pliny xix. 38 

 as the only kind known to the ancient Italians, and hence the name " lactucae : " L. virosa is described 

 by Lobel, and Dalechamp p. 528 (Spreng.) ; is termed " 1. sylvestris odore viroso " by Tournefort 

 inst. 473 ; was observed by Forskal near Marseilles ; and is known to grow along walls and hedges 

 as far as Britain (Engl. bot. pi. 1957, and Pers.). Its inspissated " milky juice" according to Lindley 

 " has been used as a substitute for opium." (See L. scariola). 



Lactuca coriacea of the East Mediterranean countries. Called in Greece "agria maroulia" 

 (Fraas) ; and possibly the " pheYoumvros " of Zoroaster: — the thrithakine agria" growing according 

 to Theophrastus vii. 2. 8 to 6. 2 in cultivated ground, lower and more branchy than garden lettuce, 

 leaves shorter and at length becoming prickly, and its acrid juice collected and used medicinally, 

 termed "lahanon agrion " a wild esculent by Galen alim. fac. ii. 40, is referred here by Fraas: 

 L. coriacea, described by Schultz bip., was observed by Fraas frequent in low cultivated ground in 

 Attica and the Peloponnesus. 



Citrullus colocynthis of the African and Arabian Desert, and as far as Hindustan. The colocynth 

 is called in Egypt and Yemen " hamdal," or sometimes in Yemen " dahak " (Forsk.), in Nubia 

 "horky " (Del.) ; and the "kolokunthis " is identified in Syn. Diosc. with the ©YA" BPH of Zoroaster, 



— and "autoggnfis" of Osthanes ; the "kolokunthis " or "kSlokinthis " is prescribed in 1 Morb. 

 mul. 108, is mentioned also by Aristotle probl. xx. 14, Rufus Ephesius, Galen, Marcellus, and the plant 

 is distinctly described by Dioscorides. Westward, the "kolokunthis " or " sikuan pikran" is further 

 identified in Syn. Diosc. with the " toutastra " of the Dacians, and " kourkourvita silvatika " of the 

 Romans ; the " colocynthis " is mentioned by Pliny xx. 8, but in these countries as well as in Greece 

 seems to have been known only from the imported fruit. Farther South, the " kolokuntha algxan- 

 thrine " is mentioned in Syn. Di®sc. ; the " hantsal," by Ebn Baitar : C. colocynthis is mentioned by 

 Mesue, and other Arab writers (F. Adams) ; was observed by Forskal in the environs of Cairo, 

 growing in the Desert, by Delile in Upper Egypt, and by Forskal in Yemen ; is known to grow as 

 far even as Austral Africa (Pers.), where the seeds according to Drury " constitute an important 

 article of food." Eastward, is called in the environs of Bombay "indrayan '' (Graham), in Bengalee 

 "makhal,"in Telinga " putsa-kaya," in Tamil "paycoomuti " or " varriecoomuttie " (Drury); was 

 observed by Gibson " in great abundance on the sea shores of Guzerat," by Graham " on the plains 

 of the Deccan"and "common in Salsette jungles," and according to Vaupell " there is a sweet 

 variety which is edible and cultivated " (probably the same seen by myself wild on the Deccan, with 

 deeply-lobulated leaves, and globular variegated fruit which in the unripe state was not bitter). 



Citrullus pseudo-cotocynthis of the plains of Northern Hindustan. Given as a distinct species, 



— but called " indrayun " or " bisloombha ; " the fruit " oblong," marked " with eight broad stripes," 

 its "flesh very bitter" and substituted "for the true colocynth" (Royle ill. pi. 47. f. 2, and Lindl.). 



Verbena supina of Central Asia ? Perhaps the species called in Arabic at Lahore " ikmubaran " 

 (Honigb. 419, and J. F. Wats, index). The " p8rist£rS6na uption " of Zoroaster — (geopon. xv. 1), 

 the Hippocratic steril. 13, Nicander ther. 860, Dioscorides, Galen, Aetius viii. 15, and Paulus Aegi- 

 neta, is referred here by Sprengel : the "peristereona " was celebrated among the Magians (Plin. 

 xxv. 59); the name derived according to Cratevas from its leaves incised after the manner of a dove's 

 foot (schol. Nicand. ther.) : the " p2rist£r£6n uptios " is identified in Syn. Diosc. with the " Srusi- 

 skSptron " of Pythagoras, and "pSmphthSmphtham" of the Egyptians': and the "ikmubaran" is 

 mentioned by Maserjawia, and Ebn Baitar : V. supina was observed by Sibthorp near Smyrna and 

 elsewhere in Asia Minor, in depressed situations subject to inundation ; by Forskal, Delile, and 

 myself, in Lower Egypt. Westward, is described by Dodoens p. 150, and Lobel . . . ; is termed "v. 

 tenuifolia" by Tournefort inst. 200 ; and is known to occur in Spain (Pers. ; see V. officinalis, and 

 Prasium majus). 



Bombax (Salmalia) Malabaricum of Tropical Hindustan and Burmah. The red-flowered cotton- 

 tree is called in the environs of Bombay " saur " (Graham) ; and the " pembeh " of the Zend Avesta 



— is according to Ritter 9 a tree bearing cotton: wool-bearing trees were seen by Androsthenes on 

 Tyle, their leaves like those of the vine, and fruit as large as quinces containing wool of which cloth 

 is woven (Theophr. iv. 7. 7, and Plin. xii. 21) : S. Malabarica was observed by Rheede iii. pi. 52 in 

 Malabar ; by Law, and Graham, in the environs of Bombay, " a very large tree," its " leaves digitate, 

 deciduous in the " cool season and succeeded by large red flowers very conspicuous in the forest, as 

 witnessed by myself on the Ghaut ; was observed by Gibson as far as Guzerat ; by Roxburgh cor. iii. 

 pi. 247 in other parts of Hindustan, and is termed by him '• b. heptaphyllum." Farther East, was 



