INTRODUCED PLANTS OF EGYPT. 



403 



The Coffea, or coffee-plant, (which grows wild in the region south- 

 west of Abyssinia,) is said to have been introduced into Yemen 

 during the thirteenth century. According to Lane, coffee, did not 

 form an article of import into Egypt, until about a. d. 1500. Alpi- 

 nus, met with the coffee-plant in the gardens of Egypt; and re- 

 cently, it has been again introduced, as appears from a statement 

 of Clot-Bey and Figari. 



Cocoa-nuts, are mentioned by Scrapie and Avicenna. I saw in Egypt, 

 a quantity of cocoa-nuts, that had been imported by the route of the 

 Thebaid. 



The pea-nut ( Arachis hy pogea), was probably known in Egypt during 

 the time of the early Muslims. The plant, is mentioned in the work 

 of Purchas (a. d. 1620), as cultivated in Equatorial Africa. 



The Spinach (Spinacia oleracea), is figured by Mathioli ; and is said 

 to be mentioned by Serapio. Alpinus, Forskal, and others, enu- 

 merate the spinach among the esculent plants of Egypt. 



Chenojjodium. C. album, C. rubrum, and C. flavum, were found in 

 Egypt, by Forskal. 



Corchorus olitorius, is mentioned by Allatafet (a. d. 1453) ; and at the 

 present day, is a favourite esculent in Egypt. 



The ochra (Hibiscus esculentus), was probably cultivated in Egypt 

 during the early Muslim Period. The plant, is mentioned by Ma- 

 thioli; and under its Egyptian name, 'bamia.' 



The egg-plant (Solanum melongena), is mentioned by Avicenna; and 

 under its current Egyptian name. It is besides enumerated by 

 Makrizi (in the beginning of the fifteenth century), among the 

 plants cultivated in Nubia. 



The lime (Citrus liraonium), was probably introduced into Egypt 

 during the early Muslim Period. Belon (a. d. 1553), met with 

 the plant at Cairo; and it is figured, by Parkinson. 



The lemon, is enumerated by Makrizi, among the plants cultivated in 

 Nubia. Lemons, are mentioned among the productions of Abys- 

 sinia, by Alvarez, who visited that country in a. d. 1520. And 

 Barthema or Vertoman, (a. d. 1503), found lemons in Yemen. 



The orange (Citrus aurantium), is said to have been made known to 

 Europeans by the Crusaders. Cademosto, in his Voyage to Ma- 

 deira, (a. d. 1454,) mentions oranges; and Vertoman, found them in 

 Yemen. According to Abd Allalif, " seeds of the orange and lemon, 

 were brought from India in the three hundredth year of the Hegira, 

 and were sown in Oman." 



