keronia or keratea, being the Greek for
horns, and is given to the locust or carob bean from its supposed
resemblance to goats' horns. It is also known in different parts of
Cyprus under the following names; teratsia (a corruption of keratea),
xylokeratea, kountouroudia, koutsoupia and charoupia. The last named is
of Arabic origin (kharroub) and the same root of the word is common all
over Europe. Moreover, the fruit varies slightly according to locality,
and develops local characteristics which have acquired for it
distinctive local names; thus in Kyrenia District we have templiotike
and kyrionitike, in the Karpas there is the sarakine (introduced by
Saracens?) and elsewhere the vaklitike and kombote. This bean or pod,
which when ripe is of a chocolate colour, contains from 6 to 10 hard
seeds, embedded in a sweet, pithy, honey-like substance which imparts
the flavour so much appreciated by animals.

The carob tree belongs to the natural order Leguminosae, sub-order
Caesalpinae, and is the only species of the genus _Ceratonia_. It is an
evergreen, long-lived tree, growing to a height of 30 ft. and sometimes
even to 50 and 60 ft. It thrives in most kinds of soil, especially in
porous, marly and even volcanic soils, but not in marshy lands. Owing to
its long tap root it resists drought well, and is to be found growing
well in rocky land such as is common in many of the carob areas of
Cyprus. It is very generally found intermixed with the olive tree and up
to about the same altitude.

A succession of flowers is produced from July to September or October,
and in favourable years up to December and even later, and in
July-August the tree bears both flowers and ripe fruit. The collection
of the latter commences about mid-August, the exact date being annually
fixed separately in each district by the Commissioner. This is done in
order to prevent the fruit from being stolen.

Recent investigations made by the Agricultural Department go to prove
that the fruit-producing carob tree of Cyprus is really hermaphrodite,
though there yet remains much room for investigation and the point is
not finally settled. The others are true male trees. The hermaphrodite
carob trees which form practically the whole of the fruit-producing
trees of the Island are cleistogamous (_i.e._ self-fertilised before the
calyx opens) and short-stamened.

There are also certain trees self-produced from seed which are superior
to the ordinary so-called wil