No. 11.— 1858-9.] SCRIPTURE BOTANY OF CEYLON. 



331 



one so frequently referred to in the Bible. But while there 

 may be a reasonable doubt in our minds on the subject of this 

 plant, perhaps it may be new for some of us to learn that the 

 word "desire" in the passage I have quoted from Ecclesiastes, 

 is admitted to indicate a plant, and no other than the plant 

 which chiefly furnishes the Capeis of commerce (0. sirinosa) ; 

 and which, perhaps, some of us may not be aware of, are the 

 nnexpanded flower-buds of this plant. The genus to which 

 the Caper bush belongs, is very widely distributed over the 

 earth, and species answering the requirements of the texts 

 referring to it, were growing in the several countries named 

 in the Bible in connection with it. We have no less than 

 twelve species of the Caper plant indigenous to the Island, 

 some of which, when in flower, festoon the forest trees, and 

 exhibit as rich a floral display as any plant in the Island. 

 Their flowers are in general very conspicuous, and beginning 

 with a fine rose-colored one, which was lately in flower in 

 Colombo, are of various sizes and colors ; one, in the jungles 

 of the interior, displaying a profusion of snowy white flowers 

 fully two inches across the petals. There was a very fine 

 one some years ago at Elie House, which has since been cut 

 down. It is y gigantic thorny climber, and known to the 

 Sinhalese as©©c3^c83c3, velangiriya. It has the flowers so 

 arranged in rows on the stems, that when the uppermost 

 expands and falls off, the next in succession opens in its turn. 



Mallow. 



This word occurs only once in the Bible, where Job speaks 

 of those, "who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper 

 roots for their meat/' (Job xxx. 4.) 



There has been a great deal of discussion on the subject 

 of the plant here translated Mallow, and it is shewn that the 

 original word may stand for several plants which grow in the 

 lands of the Bible, as well as for the Mallow, some of which 

 indigenous to Ceylon, and of others we have representatives 



