PASSIFLORA CERULEA;
                   OR,
           COMMON BLUE PASSION-FLOWER.
                  ALL the Passifloras claim the admiring eye, nor is this,
though the most common, as thriving
                  well out of doors, the least attractive.   It was discovered
in the Brazils, and its wonders were
                  soon proclaimed to Christian kingdoms as representing the
Passion of our Lord, whence its pre-
                  sent appellation.   The leaves were said exactly to resemble
the spear that pierced our Saviour's
                  side; the tendrils, the cords that bound his hands, or
the whips that scourged him; the ten
                  petals, the apostles, Judas having betrayed, and Peter
deserted; the pillar in the centre was the
                  cross or tree; the stamina, the hammers; the styles, the
nails; the inner circle about the central
                  pillar, the crown of thorns; the radiance, the glory; the
white, in the flower, the emblem of
                  purity; and the blue, the type of heaven.  On one of the
species, the Passiflora alata, even drops
                  of blood are to be seen upon the cross or tree.       The
flower keeps open three days, and then
                  disappears, denoting the resurrection.   At last this sacred
flower was brought from the Brazils
                  to Europe, and became a denizon of our gardens in the year
1699.      We shall now examine
                  this plant botanically.  It is a climbing shrub, remarkable
for the growth of its shoots, rising in
                  a few months above fifteen feet.    The stem is round and
fluted. At distinct distances proceed
                  two stipules half-moon-shaped, on each side the leaf, which
is palinate, that is, divided into five
                  pointed lobes, and the lesser lobe is often sublobed. 
    From the axilla of the petiolus of the
                  leaf proceeds first the flower, and next a tendril.   The
first stage of the flower is protected by a
                  calyx, which, as afterwards appearing somewhat remote from
the flower, is called an involucre:
                  this is composed of three intire orbicular leaves, paler
than the common leaves, and half the
                  size of the true calyx, which opens by degrees, displaying
the organs for reproduction, which
                  are curiously enwrapped within its corolla.  The calyx
leaves are exteriorly green, and terminate
                  with a hook, but as these leaves are united at their base,
it is in fact monophyllous (a single
                  leaf), divided into five segments.  The corolla consists
of five distinct fleshy petals.  The Nec-
                  tary beautifully radiates over these, and consists of two
rows of threads, arising purple, then
                  they possess a circular band of white, and terminate in
blue interspersed with spots.      There is
                  next a ditch or hollow, in the middle of which arises an
upright row of short purple threads; then
                  appears a mound of coalesced white threads, which detach
into short purple threads converging
                  around the column.     At the basis of this column, so
protected, lies the cell, in which the honey
                  is deposited, and a gland may be found in the centre of
this cell for the purpose of secreting
                  the honey.  There is also a lid affixed to the column,
which covers the honey-cell.       At a short
                  distance up this column proceed the five filaments.  These
are broad, and become arched; and
                  at each end is a hook to which are attached the back of
the oblong anthers, which occasions
                  them very readily to vibrate at every breath of wind. 
    The anthers on their under sides have
                  two bags filled with farina, each of which opens in the
centre like a portmanteau.         At the
                  place of insertion of the five stamina is the germen, whence
proceed the three styles, upright,
                  as may be seen at the first opening of the flower, and
then gradually depending more and more
                  for the purpose of impregnation.    The styles, which are
three are dotted, and each terminate
                  in a club-shaped yellow stigma.     As soon as the intention
of Nature is accomplished, all this
                  clock-work of the flower ceases, and withers, except the
germen, which increases, and forms
                  into an oblong egg-shaped fruit, at first protected by
the involucre, full of seeds inclosed
                  in a subacid refreshing pulp.     It comes under the CLASS
XX. GYNANDRIA, and ORDER I.
                  PENTANDRIA, of LINNAEUS.