DAPHNE LAUREOLA. SPURGE LAUREL.
DAPHNE Laureola; racerhis axillaribus subquinquefloris, foliis lanceolatis glabris.
DAPHNE Laureola. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 510. Huds. Angl. p. 167. Lightf. Scot. p. 205. With. Bot.
A rr. ed. 4. ml. 2. p . 371. Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2 . ml. 1. P . I. p. 282. Jacq. Austr. t. 183.
Willd. Sp. PI. ml. 2 . p. 418. Smith, FI. Brit. p . 421. Engl. Bot. 1. 1 19 . Decand. Fl.
Fr. ed. 3. ml. 3. p. 357. Fl. Gall. Syn. p. 190. Pers.Syn. PI. ml. 1 . p. 435. Ait.
Hort. K m . ed. 2. ml. 2. p . 410'. Hook. Fl. Scot. P . I. p . 1 19-
LAUREOLA. Raii Syn. p. 465.
THYMELjEA foliis perennantibus ellipticis, floribus ex alis nutantibus. • Hall. Helv. n. 1025.
Class a n d Ord e r . DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
[Natural O rd e r . THYMELEÆ, Juss., Decand., Hook.']
Ge n . Char. Perianthium simplex, quadrifidum, corolliaum, marcescens, stamina includens.
Gen. Char. Penanth single, quadrifid, resembling a corolla, marcescent, including the stamens.
Radix perennis, crassa, ramosa, in térram longe de-
scendens.
Caulis erectus, teres, simplex vel ramosus, bipedalis et
ultra, digiti minoris crassitie, tenax, cortice oli-
vaceo-fusco indutus, hie illic cicatricato.
Folia ad extremitatem ramorum alterna, digitalia, unci
am lata, sempervirentia, oblonga, basi attenuata
in petiolum brevissimum, horizontaliter patentia,
• coriacea, nitida, subtus pallidiorä, margine om-
nino integerrima, nervis obscuris.
Flores in axillis foliorum racemosi, suaveolentes, ra-
cemis nutantibus, quinque-. ad octo- floris, brac-
teatis.
Bracteæ floribus minores, oblongæ, concavæ, virides.
Perianthium simplex inferum, subinfundibuliforme,
viridi-flavescens. Tubus cylindraceus. Limbus
quadrifidus, segmentis ovatis.
Stamina inclusa, octo, quatuor inferiora, quatuor su-
periora. Filamenta brévia. Antheræ oblongæ,.
fulvæ. [Pollen fulvum, sphæricum.
PiSTiLLUM: Germen ellipticum, glabrum, viride. Stylus
brevis, àlbus. Stigma capitatum.
Baccæ ovales, nigræjmonospermæ.
Root perennial, thick, branched, descending deep into
the groundr-
Stem erect, rounded, simple or branched, two feet high
and more, as thick as the little finger, tough, covered
with an olive-brown bark, here and there
marked by the scars whence the old leaves have
fallen.
Leaves alternate at the extremities of the branches,
four to five inches long, an inch broad, evergreen,
oblong, attenuated at the base into a very short
footstalk, horizontally patent, coriaceous, shining,
paler beneath, with the margin quite entire, the
nerves indistinct.
F lowers in the axils of the leaves racemose, sweet-
scented, the racemes drooping, five- to eight-
flowered, brsicteated. ;
Bracteze less than the flowers, oblong, concave, green.
P e r ia n t h single inferior, somewhat funnel-shaped,
greenish-yellow. Tube cylindrical. Limb quadrifid,
with the segments ovate.
Stamens included, eight, four inferior, four superior.
Filaments short. Anthers oblong, fulvous. Pollen
fulvous, spherical.'
P is t il : Germen elliptical, glabrous, green. Style short,
white. Stigma capitate.
Be r r ie s oval, black, one-seeded.
} • A small cluster of flowers (nat. size). Fig. 2 . Two flowers and a bractea. Fig. 3. Single bractea.
Eg. 4. Front view of an anther. Fig. 5. Back view of an anther. Fig. 6. Anther loaded with pollen.
Eg. 7. Grains of pollen. Fig. 8. Entire flower. Fig. 9. Flower cut open to show the stamens and pistil.
lug. 10; Berries (nat. size) ;—all but fig. 10. and fig. 1 . more or less magnified.
the soil is inclined to be stiff and clayey. The flowers are produced in the early spring, in the month of April,
yielding^a very powerful fragrance; more powerful, as is common with flowers of the same colour, towards
th^ t The habit o f the plant is quite peculiar among the natives of this country; the leaves beiug produced upon
e top of a tall stem, after the manner of the Palms. This stem, as Sir James Smith tells, is successfully employed
or receiving grafts of the Daphne Cneorum, which, thus aided by the greater vigour and more abundant juices of
T L k b.ecomes a str°nger and healthier plant,
the berries are produced during the summer months.
16 's Pessessed of an acrimonious principle, which abounds most in the bark of the root, and has been
mpioyed m rheumatic fevers and in cases of worms, as it is said, with success.