THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. ; . 87 
TREES AROUND GAZA. 
By W. M. Carne. 
(Read Ist October, 1918.) 
If we except date-palms, apricots, almonds, pome- 
granates, figs, olives, and other fruit trees, there are only 
three trees common in the area occupied by our troops 
before the fall of Gaza. / - 
First, and most plentiful, are the Tamarisks, planted. 
around the gardens as shelter trees. They are often mis- 
taken for pine trees; but when the wind whistles through — 
their jointed branchlets, the sound brings back memories _ 
of the she-oaks at home. It appears to be the chief local 
timber, and is good firewood, as every trooper knows who 
has smashed in the roof of a native house after the large 
limbs of this timber, which are used as roof supports. In — 
Australia, tamarisks are sometimes planted under the 
name of “‘Flowering Cypress’’—there are a number in~ 
the avenue at Hawkesbury College. According to one 
theory, they were the source of the manna of the Israelites 
-in the wilderness. 
The Sycamore Fig is also usually found in gardens. — 
It is a fairly tall, compact tree, with dark green leaves, — 
and a curious habit of bearing its numerous fruits in 
clusters along the main branches. This unusual method 
of fruiting will remind orchardists of the spur-bearing 
habit of certain plum-trees. When fully ripe the fruit is 
succulent and delicately flavoured. The skin of the fruit - 
may be eaten at the risk of sore tongues and lips. Tra-_ 
dition says that it was into one of these trees that little 
Zaccheus, the tax-gatherer, climbed, that he might see 
Christ passing by. 
The Christ Thorn is the last of the three trees. Like 
so much else in Palestine, it too is bound up in the his- — 
tory and traditions of this old, old land. | When the 
Roman soldiers in mockery placed a crown on the brow 
_ of Christ, with cruel humour they made it of the thorny 
pliable young branches of this tree, hence its name. 
Serubby when young, the Christ Thorn grows into a : 
rather scrambling tree, easily recognised by its small bright 
green, three-veined leaves, and thorny branche. ‘ts fruits 
are edible, and have a flavour not unlike a \cuy apple. 
Preserved in sugar, they form a favourite sweetmeat 
