234 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
Arabs and sold to the monks of St. Catherine, who supply it 
to pilgrims. 
The point of importance is that there were two kinds of 
manna, the lichen (Lecanora esculenta) and the sweet tree 
manna. From the fact that both Tamarix and Iraxinus grew 
in the desert and both yielded this product, it is highly pro- 
bable that the sweet manna included the product of both trees. 
But this is a matter of less moment than the fact. of there 
being the two different kinds. Mr. Carne does not state his 
reasons for referring to Tamarix as the sole source of this 
substance. 
Mustard.—Christ’s description of the mustard tree is so 
definite and precise as to leave no doubt as to the sort of tree 
referred to. The smallness of the seed and the large size of 
the tree “the greatest among herbs.” “A great tree, shooting 
out great branches.’ Sinapis is a soft-stemmed annual which 
has been stated to sometimes grow to a height of 8-9 feet, 
just as many similar plants grow in Palestine and elsewhere, 
when conditions are favourable. In New South Wales I have 
seen such common annuals as Hrigeron linifolius, Chenopodium 
album and Tagetes minuta grow to a similar stature, but would 
never think of calling them “great trees.” To call Sinapis at 
its loftiest “a great tree’ with “great spreading branches,” 
would be gross exaggeration and Christ was not given to ex- 
aggeration. 
On the other hand, in the mustard tree (Salvidora Persica) 
we have a tree exactly answering Christ’s description, the seeds 
of which are to this day termed Chardal or Khardal (mustard) 
by the Arabs, and when ground are used assuch. The seed of 
Sinapis is quite a large one. Dr. Royle, quoted by Prof. Balfour, 
states that Salvidora Persica grows near Jerusalem, and most 
abundantly on the banks of the Jordan and around the Sea of 
Tiberias. The trunk is sometimes 25 ft. high, with a diameter 
of one foot. The berry is very small, much less than a grain 
of black pepper, smooth and red. 
Osier.—This is a plant which I did not mention. Under 
the title “Osier” Miller’s Dict. of Plant Names, 1884, p. 100, 
enumerates seven different osiers, six of which belong to the 
genus Salix, including the common osier (5, viminalis), and 
one, the green osier (Cornus florida), but does not mention the 
chaste-tree (Vitex agnus—castus), the plant given by Mr. Carne. 
I have not previously seen this plant classed as an osier. 
| 
} 
