Plants Discussed by Abu Hanifah:

Abu Hanifah has described about 1120 plants. He has classified all
plants in the following seven different categories:
(i) The aromatic floral plants
(ii) Fragrant bushes and ornamental trees
(iii) Fruit trees
(iv) Non-fruit trees
(v) Leguminous (those plants whose seeds are used in edible foods)
plants and graminaceae (grassy) plants
(vi) Vegetables
(vii) The Olive tree and the date-palm
Some important plants discussed by him are mentioned here category
wise.
I. The Aromatic Floral Plants:
Under this category the author has discussed such plants as violet
ihanafsaj), clove {khiri), iris {sawsan), narcissus (narjis), anthemis
{uqhuwdn). Jasmine and wild rose {yasmin and nisrin), the fetid or
buphtalme (bahdr or ward al-himdr : rose bush), mignonette (khuzdm),
the alkekenge {kdkanj), the chalef (khilaf) and described their uses,
properties, medicinal uses and ways of planting. He also gives
information about some aromatic plants of desert areas which grow there
after a heavy rain, like: q 'ud, the daymardm.

II. Fragrant bushes and ornamental trees:

I. Myrtle (as) 2. Laurel (ghdr)
3. Castor-oil plant {khirwa 0 4. The ketmie of Syria (khatmi)
5. The terebinth (^M/w) 6. The berberinQ (anbarbaris)
7. The hawthorn {zu 'rur) 8. The plane tree (dulb)
9. The chalef (^//q/) 10. The calotrope ('w^/iar)
II. The phellodendron {'ayshum) 12. The banana tree (mauz)
13. The cedar (utrujj) 14. The laurel rose (difld)
15. The sorb (ghubayrd')
Wild shrubby trees under this category the following plants are
discussed:
1. The jujuber {sidr)
2 The caper (^6ar) 3. The arak (5mA:)
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4. Tamarisk {athl) 5. The bitter fig {tin barri)
6. The nab' {chadara tenax) 7. The wild banana tree {talk)
8. The acacia forskal {samar) 9. The aurone {qaysum)
10. The piliselle {shih) 11. The juniper tree {'ar 'ar)
12. ThQ sticky aXdev {tubbdq) 13. The wild aneth (shibithth)
14. The oily bean {ban or shu') 15. The anagyre (yanbiit)
16. The stype (/z«^') 17. The papyrus (^arJf)
18. The aloe (5a^/r) 19. The tamarind tree (j'wZj^ar)

III. Fruit trees (a) Fruits with a dry pericarp:

1. The grenadine tree {rummdn)
2. The walnut tree {jawz)
3. The common coconut tree {jawz hindi)
4. The pistachio tree (fustuq)
(b) Fruits with fleshy pericarp:
1. The peach tree {khukh)
2. The plum tree {ijjds)
3. The j uj ubier tree(' unndb)
4. The fig tree {fin)
5. The pear tree {kummathrd)
6. The mulberry tree {tut)
7. The pine tree {sanawbar)
8. The cherry mahaleb {ushtur kuhd)
9. The fir tree {tanniib)
10. The cedar {arzd)
11. The lycium {fild zahrd)

IV. Non-fruit trees:

1. The nabatean poplar {hawr nabati)
2. The shawhat {grewiapopulifolia or chaderatenax: nab *)
3. The citronella or sweet calamus {idhkhir)
4. The myrrh tree {murr)
5. The oliban (kundur)
6. The acacia {'aqaqyd)
7. The sumac {summdq)
8. The cistus ladaniferus {Iddhan)
9. Henna {hinna)
10. The tamarisk (tar/a)
11. The ash (murrdn)
12. The tree of blue balm {muql azraq)
13. The prickly paliure {shabahdrif)

V. Leguminous plants and Cereals and Starches: graminaceae

1. Wheat and barley (hinta and sha 'ir)
2. Rice (uruzz)
3. The broad bean (bdqilld)
4. The lentil {'adas)
5. The chick pea (himmis)
6. The dolic {liibya)
7. The trigonelle (hulba)
1. The oil seeds:
The cotton tree {qutn)
Rye (jdwars,dukhn)
The bean from Angola {mash)
The ers {kirsannd)
The vetch (julubbdn)
The lupin {turmus)
2. Linen {bazr kattan)
3. Sesame (simsirn)
(c) Other plants with grains:
1. The sesban {saysaban)
2. The poppy (khashkhash)

VI. Vegetables:
(a) Vegetables with onions, rhizomes and grains
1. Rape {saljam)
2. The Syrian radish {fijl shami)
3. The carrot {jazar bustani)
4. The Syrian leek {karrdth shdmT)
5. The onion {basal bustdni)
6. The squill {basal al-far, called ishqil/gr. Sqilla and 'unsul)
7. Garlic {thum)
8. The common serpentaria {luf)
9. The lycoperdon {faq')
10. The truffle (ibm'a 0
11. The mushroom {fitr)
12. Lettuce {khass)
13. The wood-sorrel {hummdd)
14. The cuckoo flower {qurdumdnd=hurf)
15. The edible stump or ground almond {su 'd)
16. The saffron {za 'faran)
17. The big alder {zanjabTl shdmi)}
(b) Vegetables with edible leaves and fruits:
I. Chicory {hindabd)
3. Basil (Jbddhdruj)
5. The rue (sadhdb)
7. The melilot (handaquqd)
9. The thyme {sa'tar)
II. Tarragon (tarkhun)
13. Coriander (kiizbura)
15. The wild spinach {qataf)
17. The dandelion (tarkhashqilq// un)
19. The dodder (kushuth)
21. The bindweed (labldb)
23. The watermelon (bittikh)
24. Mint (na'na')
25. Rocket (jarjTr)
26. Watercress {hurf)
27. The aneth (hazd)
28. The clove {qaranful)
29. Amaranth (yarqd karsd)
30. The purslane {al-baqla al-layyind)
31. The mallow of the gardens {al-khubbdzd al-bustdni)
32. The elegant acantholinon {qandbri)
33. The rape-cabbage (kurunb)
34. The serpent cucumber (qiththd'
bustdni)
35. He also knew about tamul {betel leaf; Urdu: pdn) whose leafs are
chewed in India and Pakistan .

VII. The olive tree (zaytiln)

VIII. The date-palm {nakhalf^

Abu Hanifah devoted separate chapters to describe these two
plants, i.e. olive and date-palm. He also described those plants whose
branches and roots are used as toothbrush. Likewise, he has given
interesting information about ddrim plant which women like the most as
it is used to colour the lips red.