ON INTRODUCED ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 75 



The kaaamos EriiAHs of Theophrastus iv. 9, or the " calamus alex- 

 andrinus" of Celsus and Dionysius Periegetes, is referred by Royle to 

 the Andropogon calamus-aromaticus ; Dioscorides states, that the plant 

 grows in India. 



The sxoinos of Theophrastus ix. 7, Columella, and Damogeron, and 

 the "gramen Arabum" of Propertius xxix. 17, may be compared with 

 the Andropogon schcenanihus ; more generally known under the name 

 of "juncus odoratus." — Alpinus speaks of the importation of juncus 

 odoratus from Arabia into Egypt ; and Hasselquist states, that it is 

 " brought from Limbo in Arabia Petrgea." Accordiug to Bontius, the 

 grass grows wild and is likewise cultivated, in Java. 



The kostos imported from India, of Theophrastus ix. 7, Ovid, 

 Celsus, and Lucan, is considered to be the dried root of AuckJandia 

 costus. — Bontius states, that this root is brought to Java from Cambodia. 



The baaanos mtpe^-ikh of Theophrastus iv. 2, notwithstanding some 

 discrepancies in the description, is usually referred to the Moringa 

 oleifera. — Belon and Hasselquist met with the living tree in the Sinai 

 Peninsula ; and pods and seeds, were seen by Delile -in the drug shops 

 of Cairo. 



The "spiny and feather-leaved" sensitive plant growing at Memphis, 

 of Theophrastus iv. 3, and the " aischynomene " of Apollodorus and 

 Pliny xxiv. 17, may be compared with the Mimosa liabbas. — This 

 shrub was seen by Delile in the Thebaid ; and is indigenous in Abys- 

 sinia. 



The " Bactrian tree bearing a nut and resembling the terebinth," 

 mentioned by Theophrastus iv. 5, may be compared with the pistachio 

 (Pistacia vera). — In Egypt, the pistachio is called "festok;" in which 

 word, we recognise the "pistaki" of Nicander and Posidonius. Pliny 

 states, that the "pistacia" tree was brought from Syria into Italy a 

 little before the death of Tiberius. Delile speaks of the importation 

 of pistachio-nuts from Syria into Egypt ; where, according to Clot-Bey 

 and Figari, the tree is now commonly cultivated. 



The ANArAXNH of Theophrastus vii. 1, according to Sibthorp's ac- 

 count of the Greek usage, is possibly the Peplis portula; a European 

 herb, sometimes used for economical purposes at Athens, but which 

 appears to be unknown in Egypt. 



Sibthorp, however, refers the anapaxnh of the Ancients to the 

 purslain, Portulaca oleracea. — In Egypt, the purslain is called "rigleh" 

 (a word, according to Schwarz, occurring in the Rabbinical writings), 



