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WILLIAM MACNAE
Rhizophora, which implies that this genus of trees is the most important
to these people.
B. Early historical references
A detailed account of the references to mangroves in European
literature is given by Bowman (1917), much of it repeated by Davis
(1940). Bretzl (1903) made a study of the references in European
classical literature and compared the plants mentioned with those
occurring, in his own day, along the shores of the Red Sea and between
the Indus delta and the Persian Gulf.
Bakhuizen van der Brink (1921) mentions that an inscription found
in the Wadi Hamanat on the old caravan route between Koptos and
Kosseir mentions mangroves on the Red Sea. The inscription dates
from the Egyptian king Assa (3580-3536 B.c.).
Theophrastus in his “ Historia Plantarum ” (305 B.c.) quotes
widely from the reports given by Aristobulus of the voyage by Nearchus
in 325 from the Indus delta to the Persian Gulf while Alexander the
Great made the journey overland. Nearchus describes trees around
14 m (45 ft) tali, in blossom with white flowers scented like violets,
growing in the sea and with trunks ‘‘ held up by their roots like a
polyp ”. The leaves are described as being like those of a laurel. Such
a description would apply to Rhizophora.
Pliny in his “ Historia naturalis ” (A.D. 7 7 ) quotes this and adds that
similar trees occurred along the Red Sea. Plutarch in his “ Moralia ”
(A.D. 7 0 ) is much concerned with the problem as to how these trees
nourish themselves from sea water. Arrian in the “ Anabasis ” (A.D.
136) gives a few sentences about trees that grow in the sea.
Theophrastus also gives a description of a mangrove swamp or
mangal with its creeks through which a boat may pass, but none of
the other authors took up this point.
Arrian’s mention of mangroves is the last until the Middle Ages.
Abou’l Abbas en-Nabaty, a Moorish botanist living in Spain, gave
in 1230 an account of a journey through Arabia, Syria and Iraq. His
book is no longer extant but one of his pupils quotes from it and from
other Moorish and Arab botanists. References t o Rhizophora are clear,
it is called by them kendela, a name cognate with the Latin candela,
and this name persists in Arabic and Swahili to the present day. (This
name, which bears reference to the shape of the seedling, has been given
to the least common mangrove genus of the Rhizophoraceae, Kandelia.)
These Moorish authors describe how the bark of Rhixophora is used in
tanning-a use still current-and ascribe to it medicinal virtues.
Reference is also made to Avicennia which they call quorm.
WILLIAM MACNAE
Rhizophora, which implies that this genus of trees is the most important
to these people.
B. Early historical references
A detailed account of the references to mangroves in European
literature is given by Bowman (1917), much of it repeated by Davis
(1940). Bretzl (1903) made a study of the references in European
classical literature and compared the plants mentioned with those
occurring, in his own day, along the shores of the Red Sea and between
the Indus delta and the Persian Gulf.
Bakhuizen van der Brink (1921) mentions that an inscription found
in the Wadi Hamanat on the old caravan route between Koptos and
Kosseir mentions mangroves on the Red Sea. The inscription dates
from the Egyptian king Assa (3580-3536 B.c.).
Theophrastus in his “ Historia Plantarum ” (305 B.c.) quotes
widely from the reports given by Aristobulus of the voyage by Nearchus
in 325 from the Indus delta to the Persian Gulf while Alexander the
Great made the journey overland. Nearchus describes trees around
14 m (45 ft) tali, in blossom with white flowers scented like violets,
growing in the sea and with trunks ‘‘ held up by their roots like a
polyp ”. The leaves are described as being like those of a laurel. Such
a description would apply to Rhizophora.
Pliny in his “ Historia naturalis ” (A.D. 7 7 ) quotes this and adds that
similar trees occurred along the Red Sea. Plutarch in his “ Moralia ”
(A.D. 7 0 ) is much concerned with the problem as to how these trees
nourish themselves from sea water. Arrian in the “ Anabasis ” (A.D.
136) gives a few sentences about trees that grow in the sea.
Theophrastus also gives a description of a mangrove swamp or
mangal with its creeks through which a boat may pass, but none of
the other authors took up this point.
Arrian’s mention of mangroves is the last until the Middle Ages.
Abou’l Abbas en-Nabaty, a Moorish botanist living in Spain, gave
in 1230 an account of a journey through Arabia, Syria and Iraq. His
book is no longer extant but one of his pupils quotes from it and from
other Moorish and Arab botanists. References t o Rhizophora are clear,
it is called by them kendela, a name cognate with the Latin candela,
and this name persists in Arabic and Swahili to the present day. (This
name, which bears reference to the shape of the seedling, has been given
to the least common mangrove genus of the Rhizophoraceae, Kandelia.)
These Moorish authors describe how the bark of Rhixophora is used in
tanning-a use still current-and ascribe to it medicinal virtues.
Reference is also made to Avicennia which they call quorm.