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E U O N Y M U S europæus.
Spindle-tree.
R E N T A hi D R I A Monogynia.
G en. C har. Fêtais 5. Capfule with 5 angles, 5
cells, and 5 valves, coloured. Seeds in a pulpy
Covering.
Spe c . Char. Petals moltly 4, acute. Leaves on
fhort footftalks. Branches fmooth.
S y n . Euonymus europæus. Linn. Sp. PI. 2,86.
Hudf. FI. An. 98. With, Pot. A fr , 2,41, Relh.
Cant. 96. Sibth. Ox. 82.
E. vulgaris. Rail. Syn. 468.
- F I e DGES and thickets in moll parts of England produce
this Ihrub not unfrequently, though it rarely occurs in mountainous
countries. The flowers appear early in May; the
fruit does not ripen till the autumn, when it continues to ornament
the hedges, even after the leaves are fallen, and is frequently
joined with holly and mifeltoe to adorn houfes and
churches at Chriftmas.
This is a fmall Ihrub, with ftraight fpreading branches,
which are angular when young, having four flightly prominent
lines running down them; but thefe are not always vifible;
their bark is green and fmooth. Leaves nearly oppofite, on
Ihort footftalks, lanceolate, pointed, ferrated, the firft pair
only being entire. Stipulse none. Flowers in fmall, axillary,
forked, divaricated panicles, whitilh and foetid; the firft of
them that opens having five ftamina, and as many petals, calyx
teeth, and capfules ; but all the reft have thofe parts in fours
only. The ftyle is Ihort, Ample, and acute. Capfules pink-
coloured when ripe, burfting at their outer edges, and each
cell containing one whitilh feed, enveloped in an orange-coloured
pulpy coat. This fruit is reported, even from the days
of Theophraftus, to be violently emetic, purgative, and dangerous.
That author aflerts the leaves to be poifonous to
cattle, efpecially goats, unlefs they be copioufly purged. Dr.
Withering fays : Cows, goats, and Iheep eat this plant. The
wood, cut in fummer-time, is tough, and ufed for Ikewers.
Linnaeus obferves that it makes the belt charcoal to draw with.