50 ivy. 



About fifty species of Hedera have been described. The Irish 

 Ivy of the gardens, distinguished by its rapid growth, luxuriant 

 foliage and red berries, is generally considered a variety of the 

 Common Ivy, and is named H, Canariensis, or H. vegeta ; it is a 

 native of the Canary Islands. 



Ivy has enjoyed much poetical renown from the days of " hoar 

 antiquity." It has been, perhaps, less celebrated in the recesses 

 of its native woods, from being generally associated with the de- 

 parted grandeur of noble castles and splendid abbeys, clothing 

 their mouldering walls with a mantle of perpetual verdure. By 

 the ancients, Ivy was dedicated to Bacchus ; the statues of the 

 god were crowned with a wreath of this plant, and his frantic 

 worshippers, especially at their annual festivals the liovv<j\cc, 

 or opyiu, decorated themselves with garlands of Ivy ; they also 

 introduced it to their banquets, and had it carved on their goblets. 

 Homer represents his heroes as drinking from a cup made of 

 Ivy-wood. (xKr<Tvfiiov.) Probably, these customs were owing to the 

 opinion, early and for a long period entertained, that this plant 

 was an antidote to the effects of the juice of the grape ; and, even 

 in the present day, we find that in some parts of the south of 

 Europe, Ivy is suspended at the entrance of taverns and cabarets, 

 as it was formerly, if it is not at present, in this country. Thus 

 Wilson * tells us ; " by the signe wee understand the thing 

 signified ; as by an iuie garlad, we judge there is wine to sel." 

 Ivy formed the poet's crown ; Horace refers to it in his ode to 

 Maecenas : 



" Me doctarum hederae proemia frontium 

 Diis miscent superis."f 



And Virgil in his seventh Eclogue : 



" Pastores hedera crescentem ornate poetam Arcades." 



* Arte of Rhetorique, fol. 117. 



f See also lib. i. ode xxv. v. 17 ; lib. iv. ode xi.; Epod. ode xv. 

 Virgil more than once alludes to it in connexion with the adjective 

 pallens, intending, as some suppose, the white-veined Ivy ; the word 

 pallens, however, does not always signify pale ; e. g. pallentes umbras. 



" pocula ponam 



Fagina, cselatum divini opus Alcimedontis : 

 Lenta quibus torno facili superaddita vitis 

 Diifusos hedera vestit pallente corynibos." 



Eel. Hi. v. 37. 



