200 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
rising of the sun, because they are melted by its action. The 
dose, as a purge, is about three ounces, mixed with an infusion 
of senna as ordinary manna. This article is also used as an 
aliment. M. Halie, in the article Agul, in the part Medicine 
of the Encyclopedic Methodique I. 397, believes that the 
manna obtained from the Alhagi, is the substance upon which 
the Hebrews were nourished in the desert, but this is only 
one of innumerable conjectures as to the source of that supply 
of nutriment. 
Alhagi Maurorum belongs to class Diadelphia, order 
Decandria, L., and to the family Leguminosse of Decandolle. 
In altitude it varies from two to three, or four feet; the stem 
is shrubby ; leaves simple^ obovate, oblong, with minute' 
stipules. The flowers are purple in the middle, reddish 
about the edges and disposed in racemes along the peduncles. 
The calyx is five toothed, bell-shaped; corolla papilionaceous, 
with the petals almost equal in length, the vexillum obovate 
and complicated, the keel straight, obtuse, and the ala^ rounded 
at the apex. The stamens are ten in number, united into two 
sets, ovary linear; style filiform, acute. The seed vessel is a 
roundish, slightly uneven legume, which is rather woody, 
staked, few seeded and without joints. Seeds kidney shaped. 
J. C. 
