A FAMILIAR DESCRIPTION 



-OF THE- 



Flowerine Shrubs of Central Canada. 



" Hie to haunts right seldom seen, 

 Lovely, lonesome, cool and green, 

 ' Hie away, hie away, 



Over bank, over brae, 



Hie away." — IVaverkv. 



Leatherwood — MoosEWOOD — Dina palustns, (L.) 



O^Z^HE Leatherwood or Moosewood is one of the very earliest of 

 %CS our native shrubs to blossom ; little clusters of yellow, funnel- 

 r^N^ shaped flowers appear on the naked, smooth-barked branches 

 earV in April ; three or more buds project from an involucre of as many 

 scales covered thickly with soft, brown, downy hairs. The leaves, which 

 expand soon after the falling off of the flowers, are smooth, of a bright 

 light green, oblong, entire, and placed alternately along the stems. 

 This pretty, shrubby bush seldom exceeds five feet in height, but is olten 

 much lower. The bark is of a pale greenish-grey, very tough, and 

 while fresh and young not easily broken ; it becomes more britde when 

 thoroughly dried, losing its useful pliant qualities. The bush settlers 

 used the tough bark in its green state as a substitute for cordage in tying 

 sacks and for similar purposes. This hardy shrub is, I believe, the only 

 native representative in Canada of the Mezereum family ; it has neither 

 the fragrance nor the dark glossy foliage of the Daphne or Spurge Laurel 

 of the English gardens; but, nevertheless, forms a pretty addition to our 

 garden shrubberies; the early blossom, abundant foliage, and light 

 scarlet globular berries are very attractive. The New England people 

 call the plant Moosewood in allusion to the hairy covering of the flower- 

 buds. The Canadian's Leatherwood, and the Indian's Wycopy meaning a 

 thong, on account of its tough leathery bark. The specific name, 

 pahistris, would imply that it was more particularly a marsh-loving 



