o 



86 pPant "bore, TsegeT^/, and, "bijrlc/. 



these trees at Tibur, which the inhabitants venerated as being 

 almost the founders of the people. The Ilex being very combus- 

 tible, and attracting lightning, was thought to render thereby a service 

 to man, in drawing upon itself the effe(5ts of the anger of the gods : 

 hence it is somewhat remarkable that in Greece it is regarded as a 

 tree of bad omen, and has the following legend attached to it : — 

 When it was decided at Jerusalem to crucify Christ, all the trees 

 held a counsel, and unanimously agreed not to allow their wood to 

 be defiled by becoming the instrument of punishment. But there 

 was a second Judas among the trees. When the Jews arrived with 

 axes to procure wood for the cross destined for Jesus, every trunk 

 and branch split itself into a thousand fragments, so that it was 

 impossible to use it for the cross. The Ilex alone remained whole, 

 and gave up its trunk for the purpose of being fashioned into the 

 instrument of the Passion. So to this day the Grecian woodcutters 

 have such a horror of the tree, that they fear to sully their axe or 

 their hearth-stones by bringing them in contact with the accursed 

 wood. However, according to the Dida San6ii Aegidii (quoted by 

 De Gubernatis), Jesus Himself would seem to have a preference for 

 the tree which generously gave itself up to die with the Redeemer; 

 for we find that on most occasion when he appeared to the saints, it 



was near an Ilex-tree. In Russia, the Ilex, so far from being 



regarded with disdain, is looked upon as a benefacftor and worker 

 of miraculous cures among children. In certain districfts, whenever 

 a child is ill, and especially when it is suffering from consumption, 

 they carry it into the forest, where they cleave in two the stem of 

 an Ilex, and pass the child thrice through the cleft, after which 

 they close the cut stem, and bind it securely with cord. Then they 

 carry the child round the tree thrice nine times (the number of 

 days composing the lunar month). Lastly they hang on the 

 branches the child's shirt, so that the martyr-tree may generously 

 take to itself all the disease hitherto afflidling the child. 



INGUDI. — In Bengal, they ascribe to the plant Ingudi 

 [Terniinalia catappa) the extraordinary property of begetting infants. 

 According to De Gubernatis, the Tdpatasavu is also called the Tree 

 of the Anchorite, because with an oil extradled from the crushed 

 fruit the Indian ascetics prepare the oil for their lamps. 



IPECACUANHA. — The root of the Psychotria emetica is used 

 generally as an expedtorant, but in India in cases of dysentery: its 

 sexsyllabic nomenclature has been thus immortalised by George 

 Canning: — 



" Coughing in a shady grove, 



Sat my Juliana; 



Lozenges I gave my love : 



Ipecacuanha !" 



IPOMQEA. — The Ipomoeas are nearly allied to the Convolvuli, 

 and are among the most lovely of all shrubs. The rosy-red Kama- 



