. Bulletin. Agriculture. ECONOMIC PLANTS WORTHY OF INTRODUCTION. 35 I may also mention Gitrullus colocynthis, a medicinal plant. The fruit grows wild and is gathered for export, chiefly to the United States. The region in which it grows best is a sandy desert between Gaza and El-Arish. There are other wild plants useful as vegetables, etc.; for in- stance, Gundelia toumefortii, the " Akub,: of the Arabs, which grows wild in rocky localities. Its white, juicy shoots are gathered by women and eaten like artichokes. Cargoes of this plant are shipped along the coast from the rocky regions aro
. Bulletin. Agriculture. ECONOMIC PLANTS WORTHY OF INTRODUCTION. 35 I may also mention Gitrullus colocynthis, a medicinal plant. The fruit grows wild and is gathered for export, chiefly to the United States. The region in which it grows best is a sandy desert between Gaza and El-Arish. There are other wild plants useful as vegetables, etc.; for in- stance, Gundelia toumefortii, the " Akub,: of the Arabs, which grows wild in rocky localities. Its white, juicy shoots are gathered by women and eaten like artichokes. Cargoes of this plant are shipped along the coast from the rocky regions around Haifa, par- ticularly to Beirut. It is a very good vegetable and worthy of recom- mendation. Its leaves are somewhat spiny when fully developed, but bv selection this slight defection could easilv be Fig. 11.—The watermelon market at Jaffa. I may also mention the wild Gynara syriaca and Gynara auranitica, closely related to the cultivated artichoke. The former grows in the damp soils of the low plains along the coast; the latter in the deep, dry soils of the high plateaus of the Trans-Jordan. Their improve- ment and their use for crossing are to be recommended. Among the plants particularly adapted to desert regions is Tamarlx aiiiculata, the "Athl " of the Arabs. Its galls are used for tannin. It grows well in sand dunes and has been successfully cultivated in southern Tunis. This tree is easily propagated by cuttings and appears to me to be well adapted to the southwestern United States. Another desert plant, Galligonum comosum, resembles Zizyphus lotus in its habit of growth. It is even more useful than the latter for the fixation of sand dunes. It sends out roots 65 to 100 feet 180. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original United States. Bureau of Plant Industry. Washing
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