Trees, Shrubs, and Plants of Virgil 



object, but in favourable positions becomes a shapely 

 tree eighteen or twenty feet high. It is very common 

 in Italy and attains this height in the lower country. 

 It owes its name, which means Juno's pear, to its 

 sweet and fragrant fruits, which do not ripen until 

 the second summer. The seeds, which in later 

 times flavoured gin, may also have been eaten. 



The Italians have a proverb, ' Dove non viene il 

 Sole, non viene la Santa.' This applies to the 

 houses, and out of doors the hour after sunset, to 

 which our second passage refers, is accounted un- 

 healthy. I know no reason why the shade of the 

 juniper should be accounted especially baneful. 



Flower, February to April. 



Italian names, Ginepro and Zinepro. 



Labrusca : see Vitis. 



Lactuca. 



' grata . . . nobilium requies lactuca ciborum ' (Mor. 76). 



The lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is held by Italian 

 botanists to have been developed out of their native 

 species, L. scariola. In earlier Roman days it 

 ended the meal, but afterwards was hors d'ceuvre at 

 the beginning, and was accounted an appetizer. As 

 with us, lettuces were blanched. This, however, was 

 done, not by tying up, but by putting stones on the 

 plant, much as we treat endive. There were at 

 least two varieties, of which one had a brownish leaf. 



Flower, July to October. 



Italian name, Lattuga. 



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