AMYRIDACEiE. 



173 



Description. — It is an evergreen shrub 

 or small tree, seldom more than twelve 

 or fourteen feet in height, with a flat top, 

 giving it a stunted appearance. The 

 trunk is about eight or ten inches in dia- 

 meter, with many spreading, crooked, 

 purplish branches, having protuberant 

 buds, covered with an aromatic resin. 

 The wood is resinous, light, of a reddish 

 colour. The bark is smooth and ash- 

 coloured. The leaves are thinly-scattered, 

 small, composed of one or two pairs of 

 opposite leaflets and an odd one ; these 

 leaflets are sessile, obovate, and of a 

 bright green colour. The flowers are in 

 threes ; they aje small, of a whitish co- 

 lour, and furnished with small, somewhat 

 bifid bracts. The calyx is persistent, and 

 composed of four spreading sepals. The 

 petals are four, oblong, concave, spread- 

 ing. The stamens are eight, tapering, 

 and erect, bearing erect anthers. The 

 ovary is superior, ovate, and supporting 

 a thick style, having a quadrangular 

 stigma. The fruit is reddish-brown, 

 ovate, somewhat compressed, four-valved, 

 and containing a pointed smooth nut, 

 marked on one side by a longitudinal 

 furrow. 



Fig. 95. 



B. gileadense. 

 a. Cluster of flowers, b. Expanded flower. 



This tree is found in many parts 

 of Arabia and Abyssinia, and was formerly cultivated in Judea, as it was 

 from Gilead in that country that the Egyptians derived the balsam. 

 At present, according to Buckingham, not a plant of it is to be found; but 

 Burckhardt states that it is still partially cultivated near the lake of Tiberias. 

 It was also discovered by Bruce in Abyssinia, in company with the Myrrh 

 tree, all along the coast to the Straits of Babelmandel ; this agrees with the 

 account of Josephus, who says, that according to tradition, it was introduced 

 into Judea by the Queen of Sheba, when she visited King Solomon ; though 

 this tradition is erroneous, as will be shown. 



This tree and its odoriferous balsam are noticed in the earliest records, and 

 it appears to have always been held in high esteem. Thus in Genesis (xxxvi.) 

 it is stated that the Ishmaelites carried it as an article of merchandise to 

 Egypt. "A company of Ishmaelites came from Giiead, with their camels, 

 bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt." 

 Now, as is observed by Bruce, this took place full a thousand years before 

 the time of the Queen of Sheba, and shows that the plant had been trans- 

 planted into Judea long anterior to the period to which the tradition refers. 

 On the other hand, it may be said that Gilead was merely the mart for such 

 products, as these same merchants carried myrrh and spicery which cer- 

 tainly were not the growth of Judea. 



The ancient profane writers constantly allude to this balsam. Pliny, in 

 speaking of it, says, " but to all other odours whatever, the balsam is pre- 

 ferred, produced in no other part but the land of Ju,dea,and there in two gar- 

 dens only, both belonging to the king." This account agrees with that 

 of Strabo, who states that it grew only in the king's garden at Jericho, 

 showing that it was a cultivated and not an indigenous plant, and highly 

 prized. In fact, it was of such consequence, that all writers treating on Judea 



