THE CLASSICAL PLANTS OF SICILY. 119 
But if the apple took one name from Carthage or Africa, it 
is doubly favoured, for it also is said to have given the other 
to Granada in Spain. Fruits, flowers, plants, and trees have 
afforded names not only to countries, cities, islands, and 
rivers, but also to mankind; as, for example, Pheenicia, Bib- 
lus, Cyparissi, Rhamnus, Granada, Staphyla, Fierenza, Scios, 
Rhodes, Ischia, Selinus, Lily, Ianthe, Rose, Gulnare, and 
a thousand others. 
On account of the profusion of its seeds, the Pomegranate, 
called in Sicilian, Melágrana, was, with the ancients, a mys- 
tical fruit, typifying procreation, increase, and abundance. 
The tree will grow slowly on pure lava. 
Several kinds are cultivated in Sicily. The flowers of the 
double variety are astringent, and were formerly used in 
medicine, and kept in the shops under the name of Ba/austins; 
( Bot. Mag.) 
Hasselquist observes the inhabitants of Cyprus called a 
variety of the Pomegranate having a small stem, and barren 
flowers, Balaustia, p. 24'7. Pomegranates cut in slices, are fre- 
quently eaten with wine and sugar, or with brandy and sugar; 
so, in the Song of Solomon, chap. viii. v. 2, the bride says to 
her love, **I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the 
juice of my Pomegranate.” It is probable that Horace 
alludes to this custom in the following words, “dulci mala 
vino lavere.” 
CUCURBITACE.E. 
51. Momordica Elaterium.— Squirting Cucumber.— Bot. 
Mag. vol. xliv. t. 1914. 
E^o72:0). — Diosc. lib. iv. cap. 159. — Xíavog trygiog 9) Sergi. — 
Theoph. lib. ix. cap. 15. The wild cucumber, or, as it is 
sometimes called, Asses’ Cucumber, was named «zw, from 
awww (to eject), because the capsules eject the juice and seeds 
on the least touch. Dioscorides says,— reg awa tw a aodas 
Ginbous dromndawres éxdéyov,—in gathering these cucumbers as 
= as they are touched they spring open; and Pliny relates, 
semen exhilit, oculorum etiam periculo," (lib. xx. e. 1.) 
