168 MODERN FLOWERS. 



geographical divisions. First, the Adonis. This little, bright- 

 eyed plant flourishes principally north of Palestine and amid 

 the Lebanon Mountains. The history of its origin is fabulous ; 

 but it bears the name of the son of a Tyrian queen. He was 

 fond of the hunt, was wounded, and died, but was restored to 

 life by the physician Cocytus. The fable says that the plant 

 ever after bore the blood-stained flowers, each representing but 

 one drop of Adonis s blood. These flowers sometimes bloom 

 by millions, and are characteristic of that region of Lebanon 

 where Adonis died. 



On the right is a representation of the &quot; apple of Sodom,&quot; with 

 the blossoms and fruit. This is from a specimen still in this 

 country, and in the most perfect state of preservation in both 

 fruit and flowers. This plant grows near the Dead Sea, is 

 about eight to ten feet high, varying considerably in this 

 respect, and bears fruit which itself varies from one to two 

 and a half inches in diameter. The plant from which we have 

 a drawing bore fruit two and a half inches in diameter, the 

 largest we have seen. After the puncture made by a little 

 insect the fruit invariably becomes decayed internally, and 

 when ripe and pressecj it breaks as would a mere shell. Hence 

 the ancient notion that when ripe it contained ashes and bitter 

 ness, though not literally true, is based upon some semblance 

 of fact. The fruit is not fit for food, and, when dried, the 

 seeds roll about and rattle in the interior of the fibrous husk, 

 which is somewhat similar to that of a ball-like gourd. 



The clover represented in the same plate is a Judsean clover, 

 resembling the honeysuckle in the form of the flower, and 



