1841.] Report on subjects connected tvith Afghanistan. 993 



teristic of an European climate will be found to prevail. The tra- 

 veller may pluck roses, pinks, hyacinths, sea-lavenders, kochias, 

 eryngos, catchflies, flags, &c. at an elevation of 1,000 feet, as well as 

 that of 10,000 feet. It would perhaps be diflicult to find many gene- 

 ric forms characteristic of altitude. 



Ordinary visitors would be likewise much struck with the circum- 

 stance, that a total change in the indigenous plants may exist, while 

 there is little or none in those cultivated. Thus at Cabul, where the 

 winter is so severe, and where heavy snow lies for two or three 

 months, and about which not an indigenous plant, common to India 

 perhaps is to be found, he will see Indian corn and rice cultivated with 

 wheat and barley, rice perhaps forming the prevailing crop. We may 

 see at Cabul the rice fields bordered by poplars and willows; the aspen 

 quivering over the nodding rice. This is easily accounted for; an ap- 

 proach to community of temperature may perhaps be found between the 

 summer heat of Cabul, and the winter and spring heats of the plains 

 of India, which may explain the cultivation of wheat and barley. 

 Between the summer heats of the two countries, there is likewise suf- 

 ficient community to account for the cultivation of rice occurring 

 in both in the summer. 



Brief notices on useful Plants occurring wild. — The accompanying 

 list will be found extremely meagre; but in the first place, the great 

 bulk of the vegetation consists of the large European families, among 

 which valuable products in the wild state are not extensively presented ; 

 and in the second, it is drawn up from memory chiefly, for even the 

 casual overlooking of the Herbarium, which is requisite to make 

 it more complete, would delay one considerably in the submission 

 of the report, and I may add, there is no probability of valuable 

 information turning up to compensate for this. 



Maizurrye {Chamcerops.) — Among monocotyledonous plants, that 

 of the most use is, I think, the maizurrye, of the Khyburs and 

 Momunds. It is a small palm, and appears to be a Chamserops ; 

 perhaps the same as C. humilis of Southern Europe } Should it be dis- 

 tinct, I hope it may be allowed to bear the name of C. Ritchiana, 

 after Dr. Ritchie, the only person who has explored the botanical 

 productions of the Khybur Pass. This plant is extensively used 

 in the manufacture of ropes, cr strings for the bottoms of charpaiees. 



