94 THE TREES AND SHRUBS [LECT. 



been found amongst the Tuffs of Mount Etna, which 

 are anterior to the formation of the mountain itself. 

 We, of course, assume, that the cultivated Myrtle 

 was the plant commonly known as such at pre- 

 sent, but the wild one may have been some 

 plant of the Ruscus family, such as our Butcher's 

 Broom, the Ruscus aculeatus of botanists, a plant of 

 very different affinities, but sufficiently resembling 

 the Myrtle in outward appearance to be confounded 

 with it. 



Sibthorp notices the Myrtle as common in 

 Greece, and identifies it with the M.vpo-lvr) of 

 Dioscorides. The fruit, he says, is eaten by the 

 modern, as it was by the ancient Athenians. 



HEDERA. 



Our common Ivy abounds both in Greece and 

 Italy. Theophrastus n mentions it under the name 

 of KITTOS, and Dioscorides under that of KLO-CTOS-, 

 whilst Pliny , who gives it the name of Edera^ 

 presents us with a long description of its several 

 kinds, which corresponds in most respects with 

 that given by Theophrastus. 



Both specify two kinds, male and female, each of 

 which is subdivided into the White, the Black, and 

 the Helix. It is probable that all these are varieties 

 of our common Ivy, but it is difficult to identify the 

 descriptions given by ancient writers with any of 

 those recognised at present. 



The Helix, which they represent as barren, is 



" Hist. PI., iii. 18. Lib. xvi. c. 62. 



