49^ 



2. VIBURNUM TINSU. 



LAURUSTINUS. 



This genus contains plants of the deciduous and evergreen 

 flowering kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Pentandria Trigynia, and ranks, 

 in the natural order of Dionosce. 



The characters are: that the calyx is a five-parted perianth, 

 superior, very small, permanent: the corolla one-petalled, bell- 

 shaped, five-cleft: segments blunt, reflexed: the stamina have five 

 awl-shaped filaments, length of the corolla: anthers roundish: the 

 pistillum is an inferior germ, roundish: style none, but in its stead a 

 turbinate gland: stigmas three: the pericarpium is a roundish berry, 

 one-celled; the seeds bony, roundish. 



The species cultivated are: 1. V. Lantana, Wayfaring Tree; 

 2. V Opuliis, Water Elder; 3. V. Leiitago, Pear-leaved Viburnum; 

 4. V. Cas.siiwides, Thick-leaved Viburnum; 5. V. nitiduin, Shining- 

 ledved Viburnum; 6. V. Levigatum, Cassioberry Bush; 7. V. nudum. 

 Oval-leaved Viburnum; 8. V. prunifolium, Plum-leaved Viburnum; 

 9. V.dentatutn, Tox)lh-leaved Viburnum; 10. V. Ttnus, Laurustinus 

 or Laurustine. 



The first is a thickly-branched shrub or small tree, having round, 

 pliant, mealy twigs, with the same kind of tufted stellated pube- 

 scence as is found on the flower-stalks, backs, and even upper sur- 

 faces of the leaves: the leaves opposite, somewhat elliptical, cordate, 

 obtuse, serrate, strongly veined, turning dark red before they fall in 

 autumn: stipules none: the flowers whitish, in large terminating, 

 solitary, many-flowered cymes. It is a native of most parts of 

 Europe, flowering here in May. It is sometimes known by the 



