POPULUS EUPHRATICA. 0/iv.
Hodung, Hotung,LADAKH. Bahan,Pusw,Sum.,T.-IND. Man, Labhan, . PUSHTU. I Safeda, Sperawan, „ The tree of the banks of Euphrates, has been found by Griffith, Stocks, and others on the banks of the Chenab and Indus, in Sind and Malian, also at intervals along the valley of the Indus, within the mountains, but it appears to be far from common there, and to confine itself to hot, sandy places. In several parts of Nubra it is common enough, but only, so far as Dr. Thomson observed, on the south side of the Shayuk. It is thus remarkable for its extended distribution. This is also remarkable for the very changeable shape of its leaves, which vary from broadly deltoid and coarsely toothed to narrow linear and quite entire. The leaves of the full-grown tree are generally broad and much toothed, while young plants have very narrow leaves; the shoots of pollard plants, which are common, the tree being much used for fuel, are also narrow. The wood being white (and so not flesh-coloured) is pre ferred for constructive purposes by Hindus, and for the same reason the twigs are used by this them as tooth-sticks. They are exported for that
purpose. In Sind and Hyderabad lacquered work boxes aro made of it, and it is 118C(1 in turnery. The wood is rarely used for boats in Sind, but is said to be largely so employed on the Euphrates. It is also employed for fuel in the south (in part even for steamers, although from its lightness it is not very suitable) ; and in parts of Tibet, where it grows up to 10,500 feet, it furnishes much firewood. In Sind the bark is given as a venni fuge, and the liber is employed as a gun-match. It is common in clumps on the Sutlej batik, but does not grow large, and is generally crooked. It flowers in February, and throws up root-shoots with great rapidity. The wood is objected to for steam fuel, owing to the great emission of sparks, which endanger the awnings.