tico: petioli suprà canaliculati, juxtà infra laminam biglandulosi. Stipulae 
parve, lineari-subulate. Cirri longiores foliis. Flores axillares, solitarii, 
pedunculo triguetro breviore foliis.  Involucrum parüm distans flore, tri. 
phyllum, equale, connivens, vix attingens ultra tubum calycis ; foliola rhom- 
beo-ovata, lanceolata, glanduloso-serrata. Cal. sesquiunciam longus, crassus, 
spongiosus, fundo extüs profundo intrusus, inferne pro & parte campanulato- 
tubulosus, indè 5-partitus, rotatus, segmentis oblongis intüs albicantibus 
lanis, extüs wirentibus carinatis, cariná altá mucrone falcato terminalâ. 
Pet. tubo calycis imposita, parim breviora at plurimum angustiora et tenuiora 
ejusdem segmentis. Corona multiplex, conferta, crispa ; radii gradatim ab 
enterne brevissimis papilliformibus et numerosis ad extern calcem equantsima, 
in orbem patentissimi, setaceo-filiformes, flexuosi, violaceo et albo varii. Oper- 
culum plicatum, violaceum, incumbens septo ascendente nectarit. Nectarium 
album, tubulosum, subbicameratum, septo medio incompleto deflexo. Columna 
inclusa, violaceo-maculata. Germ. viride, ovale, glabrum, exsulcum. Anth. 
viridi-lutee. Styli clavati, stigmatibus continuis subdidymo-capitatis, obliquis 
pruinosis. Bacca (v. Pepo) sordidê v. livid? purpurascens (nunc flavescens yA 
formâ fer? et magnitudine ovi columbini vel modo globosa et pene duplo major, 
pulpâ luteo-virescente ; sem. atropurpurea. 
This is the first species of the genus which was intro- 
duced into Europe, and has suggested the generic name. 
The plant was originally discovered by the Spaniards, who 
called it, like the other sorts Granadilla, from a resemblance 
they conceived the fruit to bear to that of the common 
Pomegranate. But on its appearance in Italy, which seems 
to have occurred in the commencement of the 17th century, 
superstition descried in the configuration of the different 
parts a mysterious representation of the Passion of Christ, 
and the priests strove to turn the new vegetable prodigy to 
account. The leaf, as is well known, was expounded to 
be the spear which pierced the side, the twined threads of 
red and white which form the crown of the flower the 
lashes of the whip tinged with blood, the five encircling 
stamens the crown of thorns, the column in the centre of 
the flower a miniature of that, which served in the flagella- 
tion, the three clavate stigmas the three nails used in the 
crucifixion. The plant was pronounced a miraculous em- 
blem of those sufferings, and received the sanctimonious 
title of Fior della Passione, or Flos Passionis, afterwards 
combined by Linnzus into the technical name of Passrrrona. 
Figures of it were manufactured for devotional purposes, 
and made up of crude representations of the instruments 
themselves, instead of their presumptive symbols. An 
image of this kind has been placed at the side of that of 
the natural vegetable by Parkinson, an old english bota- 
nist, whose orthodoxy is much affronted by this monkish 
device, which he charges, according to the humour of his 
day, to the Jesuits. 
— aad 
