Uses—Cutch under the name of Catechu, which name it shares with gambier, is employed in medicine as an astringent.
Analogous Products—See our articles Semen Arecæ and Gambier.
ROSACEÆ.
AMYGDALÆ DULCES.
Sweet Almonds; F. Amandes douces; G. Süsse Mandeln.
Botanical Origin—Prunus Amygdalus Baillon[937] var. β. dulcis (Amygdalus communis L. var. β. dulcis DC.)—The native country of the almond cannot be ascertained with precision. A. de Candolle,[938] after reviewing the statements of various authors concerning the occurrence of the tree in an apparently wild state, arrives at the conclusion that its original area possibly extended from Persia, westward to Asia Minor and Syria, and even to Algeria. The tree is found ascending to 4000 feet in the Antilebanon, to 3000 in Mesopotamia, and even to 9000 feet in the Avroman range, not far from Sulemānia, Southern Kurdistan.[939]
At an early period the tree was spread throughout the entire Mediterranean region, and in favourable situations, far into the continent of Europe. It was apparently introduced into Italy from Greece, where according to Heldreich,[940] the bitter variety is truly wild. The almond-tree matures its fruit in the south of England, but is liable to destruction by frost in many parts of central Europe.
History—The earliest notice of the almond extant is that in the Book of Genesis,[941] where we read that the patriarch Israel commanded his sons to carry with them into Egypt a present consisting of the productions of Palestine, one of which is named as almonds.
From the copious references to the almond in the writings of Theophrastus, one cannot but conclude that in his day it was familiarly known.
In Italy, M. Porcius Cato[942] mentions towards the middle of the 2nd century b.c. Avellanæ Græcæ which we know from later authors signified almonds. Columella, who wrote about a.d.. 60, calls them Nuces Græcæ. Bitter almonds (“Amygdali amari”) are named about this latter period by Scribonius Largus.