Table 3 Plants used in graveyards – trees and shrubs.
Species | Frequency of appearance and dominance (%) | References from the Middle East and adjacent countries. | References from other regions (also for funerals, immortality and mourning symbols and, death myths) |
|---|---|---|---|
Cemetery Cypress – Cupressus sempervirens L. (Cupreessaceae) | 68.9 (20.6*) | Iran [86:18; 88:132; 89:30]; Turkey [42:182; 69:63; 91:350; 92;II:21; 93:219; 94:115; 95:136,146]; Lebanon [96:205]; Egypt [97:431] | Ancient Greece, [2:80; 17:34; 42:182; 43:298; 57; X:106–142; 98;11.4; 99: 8,24,7; 100:27; 101:111.4, 120.75; 102:654; 103:264,267; 104:32; 105:157]; Europe in general [31:36; 54: 190–191; 55:XVI,60; 56:IV,507; 47:39]; China [2:28; 106:124] |
Olive – Olea europaea L. (Oleaceae) | 41.3 |  | Ancient Greece [3:308; 100:27; 107:4.84] and also Rome [56: 230; 20, II:500; 89:373] |
Date palm – Phoenix dactylifera L. (Palmae) | 37.5 | Egypt [109;II:132; 110:464; 111:431] | Europe [2:9; 20;I:129; 45:191] |
Ficus – Ficus spp. (Moraceae) | 22.5 |  |  |
Butcher's Broom – Ruscus aculeatus L. (Dioscoreaceae) | 20.0 |  |  |
Oleander – Nerium oleander L. (Apocynaceae) | 20.0 |  | Rome [77:30] |
Carob – Ceratonia siliqua L. (Caesalpiniaceae) | 20.0 |  |  |
Christ's Thorn Jujube – Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. (Rhamnaceae) | 10.0 | Middle East [50:passim] |  |
Fig – Ficus carica L. (Moraceae) | 10.0 |  | England (19th century [14:102]) |
Laurel – Laurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae) | 2.5 |  | Ancient Greece [3:107–108; 45:191]; Rome [77:30]; Europe in general [20, I:174; 108:174; 112:174]; England [14:102; 15:438; 30:7]; |