tico: petioli supra canaliculati, juxta infra laminam biglandulosi. Stipulse 
parva, lineari-subulate. Cirri longiores foliis. Flores axillares, solitarit, 
pedunculo triguetro breviore foliis. Involucrum parim distans flore, tris 
phyllum, @quale, connivens, vix attingens ultra tubum calycis ; foliola rhom- 
beo-ovata, lanceolata, glanduloso-serrata. Cal. sesquiunciam longus, crassus, 
Spongiosus, fundo extus profundé intrusus, inferne ie parte campanulato- 
iubulosus, inde 5-partitus, rotatus, segmentis oblongis ints albicantibus 
AEs extiis virentibus carinatis, carind alta mucrone falcato terminata. 
et, tubo calycis imposita, paritm breviora at plurimim angustiora et tenuiora 
ejusdem segmentis, Corona multiplex, conferta, crispa; radii gradatim ab 
interne brevissimis papilliformibus et numerosis ad externé calycem equantibus, 
in orbem patentissimi, setaceo-filiformes, flexuosi, violaceo et albo varii. Oper- 
culum plicatum, violaceum, incumbens septo ascendente nectarii, Nectarium 
wlbum, tubulosum, subbicameratum, septo medio incom ieto deflexco. Columna 
énclusa, violaceo-maculata. Germ. viride, ovale, ebwi exsulcum. Anth. 
wiridi-lutee. Styli clavali, stigmatibus continuis subdidymo-capitatis, obliquis 
“pruinosis. Bacca (v. Pepo) sordid? v. livide purpurascens ( mune aves ) 
Formé fere et magnitudine ovi columbini vel modo globosa et pene duplo Major, 
gulpa luteo-virescente ; sem. atropurpurea. , 
This is the first species of the genus which was intro- 
duced into Europe, and has suggested the generic name. 
The plant was originally discovered by the Spaniards, wha 
ealled it, like the other sorts Granadilla, from a resemblance 
they conceived the fruit to bear to that of the common ~ 
Pomegranate. But an its appearance in Italy, which seems 
to have occurred in the commencement of the 17th century, 
superstition descried in the configuration of the different 
parts a mysterious representation of the Passion of Christ, 
and the priests strove to turn the new vegetable prodigy to 
account. The leaf, as is well known, was expounded to 
be the spear which pierced the side, the twined threads of 
red and white which form the crown of the flower the 
lashes of the whip tinged with blood, the five encircling 
stamens the crown of thorns, the column in the centre of 
the flower a miniature of that, which served in the flagella- 
tion, the three clavate stigmas the three nails used in the 
crucifixion. The plant was pronounced a miraculous em~ 
blem .of those sufferings, and received the sanctimonious 
‘title of Fior della Passione, or Flos Passionis, afterwards 
combined by Linnzus into the technical name of PassiFLORA. 
Figures of it were manufactured for devotional purposes, 
and made up of crude representations of the instruments 
themselves, instead of their presumptive symbols. An 
image. of this kind has been placed at the side of that of 
the natural vegetable by Parkinson, an old english bota- 
nist, whose orthodoxy is much affronted ‘by this monkish 
device, which he charges, according to the humour of his 
day, to the Jesuits. : 
