No. 11.— 1858-9.] SCRIPTURE BOTANY OF CEYLON. 335 



Terse, and the no less important one in which our Lord is 

 compared to the " Rose of Sharon," are the only two places in 

 which the Rose is named in our English version." (Cant. 



u. i.) 



While some writers have attempted to shew that the Rose 

 here meant is the same with the one we all know by that 

 name, others have, I think, shewn with greater reason that 

 some other flower was meant, as " neither this nor any other 

 rose adorns the plain of Sharon." 



Some have attempted to prove that a bulbous plant was 

 meant, and have fixed on a species of Narcissus (N. tazetta), 

 while the late Dr. Royle supposed that the "Rose Bay," (Nerium 

 oleander,) so well known in Ceylon, was the flower meant. 



This is a common and admired plant of Palestine, and is 

 found in all our gardens here ; while on the roads from 

 Jaffna to Chavakachcheri and to Point Pedro, Mr. Dyke has 

 planted rows of one or two beautiful species. 



Several varieties of the Rose grow in Ceylon ; and in the 

 interior, where whole fences are formed of them, they display 

 a profusion of flowers, which can only be conceived by those 

 who have seen them. Dr. Hooker stated that 20,000 flowers 

 of roses at Ghazepore are required to make a rupee weight 

 of the attar, which sells for £10. 



The plant known to us as the " Rose of Jericho," is found 

 in the deserts of Syria aud Egypt. The annual stems of this 

 plant, when withered and dried, coil up like a ball, but 

 expand on being put in water. 



Lily. 



" I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys." 

 (Cant. ii. 1.) " Consider the lilies of the held, how they 

 grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin, and yet I say to 

 you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed 

 like" one of those." (Matt. vi. 28, 2D) 



