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



333 



to the interior of Ceylon, and most troublesome plants they 

 are to the Surveyor who has to cut boundaries through them; 

 to the intending Planter who explores the forest, or the hunts- 

 man who pierces their recesses in pursuit of game. They are 

 known to the Sinhalese, bat it appears that the plant 

 translated Bramble, as well as the other plants called 

 Thorns, Thistles, and Briars, are involved in obscurity. 



The Bramble, as well as the plant used to make the "crown 

 of thorns" for our Saviour, is supposed to be Zizyphus spina 

 Christi, a plant common in the East. The Zizi/phus paliarus, 

 a plant of Palestine, is supposed to be the Briar so often re- 

 ferred to in Isaiah — •" Ye shall know them by their fruits. 

 Do men gather grapes of thorns, oi figs of thistles?" (Matt, 

 vii. 16.) A species, closely allied to one of the plants supposed 

 to be referred to here, is common in dry sandy ground near 

 Colombo, it is the <^sa§©s3©c53?9, sembu-nerenchi (Tribulus 

 terrestris) of the Sinhalese. It is a small plant, spreads 

 flat on the ground, and its thorny fruits often annoy the 

 barefooted natives. 



Of the genus Zizyphus we have five species indigenous to 

 Ceylon. The niasan or ilantai is well known to most 



of us as producing a fruit, which is freely eaten and sold 

 in the bazaars here. 



Many of us have read of a species of fruit eaten by the 

 ancient Lotophagi ; which, when once tasted, it was fabled, 

 made those who ate of it lose the love of their country. I saw 

 several of the trees producing these fruits in the gardens 

 at Alexandria, and they bore a very great resemblance to the 

 masan tree and fruits. 



Tamarisk. 



" Now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, 

 having his spear in his hand, and. all his servants were stand- 

 ing about him." (Sam. xxii. 6.) 



