APETAL.E 217 



the flowers with a longer tube and butterflies the 

 longest-tubed flowers. 



The berries or drupes are dispersed by the agency 

 of birds. 



Members of this group have acrid properties, which 

 reside in the tough leathery bark, causing blistering. 

 Mezereon is used in medicine, and the action of the 

 bark or root is very violent. Ropes and paper have 

 been made from the bark of some species, that of 

 Lagetta lintearia, the Lacebark tree, being very lace- 

 like. Some European species yield a yellow dye. 



Spurge Laurel [Daphne Latireola), 



To the Order Thymelaeaceae belong the tropical 

 Laurineae, in which the anthers open as in Barberry, 

 including Laurus nohilis, Baysweet, the Laurel of the 

 ancients. The name Daphne is applied to signify 

 the resemblance to Laurel — Daphne is the name of a 

 nymph whom the gods changed into a laurel in 

 order to enable her to escape Apollo, and the name 

 Laureola is applied to Spurge Laurel to indicate the 

 same feature as in Daphne. Having some resem- 

 blance in habit on a large scale to some of the Spurges 

 the English name is rather appropriate. 



In England the Spurge Laurel is fairly general, 

 though nowhere common, and in Scotland is not 

 found in native habitats. It is unknown in Ireland 

 but occurs in the Channel Islands. 



Woods, copses, shady places form the principal 



