CHAP. XIV. PALM BRANCH. IVY. 265 



of astrology. Plutarch tells us * the ivy was styled 

 by the Egyptians Chenosiris ; that is, as some in- 

 terpret it, " the plant of Osiris;" and Diodorust, 

 after saying " it was consecrated to that God, 

 and called in the Egyptian tongue the plant of 

 Osiris," affirms that ** it was carried before the 

 vine in consecrations, because, while this loses its 

 leaves, the ivy continues to retain them." Many 

 instances occur of the preference shown by the 

 ancients for evergreen plants ; and, for a similar 

 reason, they dedicated the myrtle to Venus, the 

 laurel (bay tree) to Apollo, and the olive to Mi- 

 nerva. 



But we may doubt if the ivy was at any time a 

 native of Egypt. The periploca secamone may have 

 been mistaken for that plant in the representations 

 given of it in the paintings t, both from its climbing 

 nature and even the form of its leaves ; though it 

 must be confessed that a plant having so acrid a 

 juice could scarcely have been used for garlands, if 

 even it were tolerated in the hand. 



Plutarch mentions a garland of the melilotus§, 

 which fell from the head of Osiris. This plant 

 may therefore have been deemed sacred by the 

 Egyptians. Clemens mentions thirty-six plants, 

 dedicated to the thirty-six decans or genii, who 

 presided over portions of the twelve signs of the 

 zodiac II ; but the symbols of those mysterious 

 beings had no claim to sanctity. 



* Plut. de Is. s. 37. f Diodor. i. 17. 



X Vide Vol. III. p. 157. 



§ Plut. de Is. s. 36. This signified the plants produced by the in- 

 undation at the edge of the desert. Vide supra, Vol. I. (2d Series) 

 p. 331. 334. 336. 437. 



II Ttrfe Prichard, p. 329. Vidcswprd, p. 76.; and Vol. I. (2d Series) 

 p. 222. 



