88 



This plant owes its name of Passion-flower 

 to the missionaries who first discovered it in 

 America; and who have made it, as it were, an 

 epitome of our Saviour's passion. The petals, 

 they say, represent the ten apostles, besides 

 Judas who hanged himself, and Peter, who de- 

 nied his master. The stamineous parts which 

 spread themselves on the flower, they compare 

 to a glory. And the small purple threads stand- 

 ing round the bottom of the style, they fancy to 

 be a crown of thorns. The style, which is in 

 the middle of the flower, serves them for a 

 pillar, to which they say, the Jews bound the 

 malefactors whom they scourged ; and that they 

 may not want any part of the story, the clasper 

 is supposed to be a cord, and the leaf a hand. 

 The three divisions on the top of the style are 

 fancied to be three nails, and taking off one of 

 the five stamina, with its apex, this is called a 

 hammer, and the four others remaining form a 

 cross ; the three alabastrices, at the bottom of 

 the flower, are imagined to represent the three 

 soldiers, who cast lots ; and the time between 

 the opening and shutting of the flower, being 

 just three days, completes the representation. 



The Cserulea, or blue-rayed common palmated 



