Flora Unveiled

92 i Flora Unveiled

At the New Year, on the day of the rites, in order for her to determine the fate of all

the countries, so that during the day the faithful servants can be inspected, so that on

the day of the disappearance of the moon the divine powers can be perfected, a bed is

set up for my lady. Esparto grass^19 is purified with cedar perfume and arranged on that

bed for my lady, and a coverlet is smoothed out on the top of it.

In order to find sweetness in the bed on the joyous coverlet, my lady bathes her holy

thighs. She bathes them for the thighs of the king; she bathes them for the thighs of

Iddin- Dagan. Holy Inanna rubs herself with soap; she sprinkles oil and cedar essence

on the ground.

The king goes to her holy thighs with head held high, he goes to the thighs of

Inanna with head held high. Ama- ucumgal- ana^20 lies down beside her and caresses

her holy thighs. After the lady has made him rejoice with her holy thighs on the bed,

after holy Inanna has made him rejoice with her holy thighs on the bed, she relaxes

with him on her bed: "Iddin- Dagan, you are indeed my beloved!"^21

Early Fruit and Nut Tree Plantations

Most of what we know about fruit and nut tree plantations in ancient Mesopotamia comes
from documents written during the third millennium bce. The sources include temple
archives and the accounts of various officials and private merchants. J.  N. Postgate has
reviewed the types of fruit trees cultivated during this period.^22 He confirms that the date
palm was the most abundant and valued fruit tree in Mesopotamia.^23 The Sumerians also
grew grapes, figs, apples, pomegranates, and several other fruits whose identities have not
yet been determined. Wild junipers may have been grown for their “berries,” and some trees,
such as pine, were apparently planted and managed as a source of lumber. Intercropping of
fruit trees was commonly practiced, especially in date palm orchards, and specific mention
is made of pomegranates. In addition, fig and apple trees were sometimes intercropped with
vineyards. Annual herbaceous crops— such as wheat, barley, and sesame— were typically
planted in date orchards as well.
Several kinds of nut trees were cultivated, including almond, walnut, hazelnut, and
terebinth (Pistacia atlantica).^24 Given the limited number of fruit and nut trees that were
cultivated in ancient Mesopotamia, it is significant that three of them— dates, figs, and
terebinth— were dioecious.^25 For these fruit crops, plantation owners would have been
strongly motivated to maximize their yield by planting only female trees. However, such a
strategy would have required a method to ensure pollination of the female trees.

The Sex Lives of Date Palms

In date palms, both the male and female inflorescences are surrounded by a flattened,
woody bract or prophyll (leaf- like structure) commonly called a “spathe” (Figure 5.3A), and
both also have a single, flattened, central rachis that bears numerous branches, or rachillae,
resembling a whisk broom (Figure 5.3B and C).^26 They differ, however in their morphology.
The male (staminate) flowers have three sepals, three petals, and six stamens (Figure 5.4,
right). Three abortive carpels occur in the center of the male flowers. In contrast, the