WINTER RHUBARB 253 



That the symbolism might lack nothing of 

 completeness, it was noted that the leaves of the 

 plant were shaped like the head of a lance or 

 spear; and that there are round spots on the 

 leaves that might be taken to represent the 

 thirty pieces of silver, the price of the betrayal. 



The merits of this symbolic characterization 

 need not concern us. But doubtless the name 

 served to draw unusual attention to the flower, 

 although the intrinsic merits of the flower itself 

 are of a high order. As a hothouse vine, it has 

 been cultivated everywhere, and is often re- 

 garded as an important acquisition. Meantime 

 it runs wild as a trailing vine in regions where 

 the winters are not too severe; and in some 

 regions it is so abundant as to be considered a 

 weed, notwithstanding the beauty of its flower. 



The genus Passiflora, to which the Passion 

 Flower belongs, is made up largely of vines and 

 shrubs, but there are a few members that grow to 

 the size of trees. 



The most beautiful flowering varieties are 

 strictly tropical, and do not thrive in the northern 

 climates. But, on the other hand, the species 

 that bear the larger and more edible fruits are 

 relatively hardy. Doubtless there is a casual re- 

 lation between these facts. Possibly the tropical 

 species do not find it difficult to propagate their 



