126 GARDEN FLOWERS. 



be converted to Christianity, for they fancied 

 that its several parts indicated the various 

 accompaniments of the crucifixion. In the five 

 anthers, the monks saw a resemblance to the 

 wounds on the body of our Lord ; the triple 

 style, they considered emblematic of the three 

 nails by which he was fixed to the cross ; the 

 central column, of the pillar to which he was 

 bound ; wliile the rays of the flower figured to 

 their minds the rays of light which the old 

 painters always represented as surrounding the 

 Saviour ; or were by some regarded as the sign 

 of the crown of thorns, which sinful man 

 placed around the brow of man's Eedeemer. 

 Exaggerated descriptions and figures of the 

 marvellous passion flower were soon circulated 

 throughout Europe ; and " there are cuts," says 

 Sir J. E. Smith, "to be found in some old 

 books, apparently drawn from descriptions, 

 like the hog in armour upon our signs, to 

 represent the rhinoceros, in which the flower is 

 made up of the very things themselves." 



The common passion flower grows very 

 rapidly. Its shoots are said, by Loudon, to 

 make fifteen feet in the summer. The fruit is 

 about as large as a mogul plum, but its flavour 

 is not agreeable. The species first cultivated 

 in Europe, was the rose-coloured passion 

 flower, which is a native of Virginia. All the 

 species are very handsome flowers, and their 

 fruits are much valued in tropical countries. 



A. very popular flower of this month is the 

 common sweet pea, (Lathyrus odorattis,) which 



