230 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES JUNIPER 



mucToncda, and Z. jujiiha, stiff-branclied, hooked, spiny slirubs 

 or small trees of tlie Buckthorn family (Ehamnace(B). It 

 is widely distributed throughout Southern Europe, North and 

 West Africa, and Western Asia. According to Pliny, it is not 

 indigenous to Italy, but was introduced in the reign of Augustus 

 and planted on the ramparts of Eome. The fruit is a pulpy 

 drupe of an oval form, about the size of a plum. It is rather 

 acid when fresh, but when dried it is eaten in large quantities, 

 and forms the Jujubes of the shops. They were at one time 

 considered good for coughs, and the lozenges known as jujubes 

 were either made from or flavoured with them. Z. jujuha is 

 common throughout India and China, and yields an excellent 

 dessert fruit, of which in China there are many varieties culti- 

 vated. Z. mucTOOiata is common in many parts of Central 

 Africa, and it is described by Mungo Park as having *' small 

 farinaceous berries of a yellow colour and delicious taste." These 

 berries are much esteemed by the natives. By drying and 

 pounding them the farinaceous part is separated from the stone, 

 and made into a kind of bread, which has a flavour resombhng 

 gingerbread. The stones are put into water and well shaken ; 

 the farinaceous pulp remaining then separates, and the water 

 becomes sweet, and with the addition of a little millet meal 

 makes an agreeable drink. This was probably identical with 

 the Bhamnus Lotus of Linnseus. There is little doubt that it 

 was the Lotus spoken of by Pliny as furnishing the food of the 

 ancient Libyan people called Lotophagi. This is, however, 

 doubted by some. {See ISTettle Tree.) 



Juniper {Juniperus communis), a low bushy shrub of the 

 Cypress section of the Coniferae family, found growing in un- 

 cultivated heathy and rocky places throughout Europe. Its 

 berries are used for flavouring gin. 



Juniper Roots of Scripture. (See Eetama) 



Jupati Palm, the native name for RapMcc twdigcra, a noble 



wing-leaved palm, native of the lower valley of the Amazon 



and Orinoco. The wood is used by the natives for the walls of 



their houses, and for many other domestic purposes. An aUied 



