FAUNA AND FLORA OF SINAI, PETRA, AND WADY 'ARAB AH. 33 



been put forward by Michon as the true Rose of Jericho of the travellers 

 of the Middle Ages. Anastatica hierochuntina will not, however, be 

 readily deprived of its claims. 



Besides the above, which were all gathered farther on, some plants 



of more limited range occurred : Moricandia dumosa, Boiss.; Abutilon 



ftuticosum, G. et P.; Varthamia montana, Vahl.; Iphiona scabra, Del.; 



Centaurea scoparia, Sieb.; Iphiona jtmiperifolia, Coss.; Ballota undulata, 



Fres., and others already met with. 



Judging from the abundance of its bur-like carpels lying in the dry 

 watercourses, Calligonum comosum is the most abundant shrub; it was now 

 in a withered condition. Several other bulbous species which occurred 

 here are as yet undetermined. A stiff scramble brought me back to the 

 'Arabah by a more northern valley. Amongst land shells. Helices of four 

 species were gathered in Wddy Ghurundel. 



CHAPTER VH. 



PETRA AND MOUNT HOR; wAdIES HARt>N (ABU KOSHEIBEH) AND 

 Mt^SA; JEBEL ABU KOSHEIBEH. 



The last valley has shown us some characteristic Sinaitic species extending 

 their range north-eastwards across the great valley of the 'Arabah. Several 

 more will appear in the group of localities now to be considered. Were I 

 to hazard a suggestion here, it would be that these plants, formerly 

 considered peculiar to Sinai, have had their origin more eastwards, and 

 have spread, like many other Arabian plants, in a westerly direction. 



Owing to the greater moisture found in the upper part of some of the 

 valleys of the Edomitic escarpment, there is a greater variety of species 

 and a sprinkling of ferns, mosses, and lichens. These are mostly more 

 northern forms, spreading southwards at high levels. 



We are now entering a district which Canon Tristram has somewhat 

 liberally included in Palestine. The flora has its own peculiar plants as 

 well as a large proportion of southern or Sinaitic species, and thus it adds 



5 



