33 
as its Arabic names. In the latter language it has, in 
addition, , a variety of other names derived from its intoxi- 
cating properties, as " increaser of pleasure," — " cementer 
of friendship,'" — "exciter of desire, 1 ' — " leaf of delusion,"&c. 
Hence it has by some been thought to be the so-much- 
disputed Nepenthes of Homer. The Acorus Calamus 
(aKopog, Diosc.) sometimes called the only aromatic of Euro- 
pean countries, is equally common in many parts of India, 
and has in Persian works akoron given as its Greek appel- 
lation. 
As Dioscorides has three kinds of Nard, the Celtic, 
Mountain, and that which is simply called vaptio;, including 
the two varieties of Syrian and Indian ; so, in Persian 
works derived from the Arabic, we have Sunbul or Narden 
ukletee; Sunbul jibullee (i.e. mountain); and Sunbul- 
hlndee or Indian Nard. For this the synonymes given 
are, Greek, Narden; Latin, Nardum; Arabic, Sunbul- 
al-teeb, or fragrant Nard ; and, Hindee, Balchur and 
Jatamasee. The latter is the Sanscrit, and the former 
the common Hindoostanee name ; but under both names 
I obtained the hairy spike-like roots of Nardostachys 
Jatamansi. With this has often been confounded another 
far-famed aromatic of Eastern climes, that is, the true 
Calamus aromaticus, HaXapo; apupaTtHOf of Dioscorides, 
said by him to grow in India. This he describes imme- 
diately after crxwo;, which is translated Odoratus juncus, 
a produce of Africa and Arabia, and generally acknow- 
ledged by botanists to be Andropogon Schcenanthus, or 
Lemon-grass, a native both of Arabia and India, perhaps of 
Africa. The Calamus aromaticus immediately following 
this, stated to be also a native of India, and among other uses 
being mixed with ointments on account of its odour ; appears 
to me to have been a plant allied to the former. Mentzel 
(Ind. Nom. Plant. Multilinguis) gives H»hanoi exoivof as 
F 
