SPINDLE WOOD 151 
seeds are enclosed in an orange arillus. The embryo is surrounded by 
albumen. 
The styles are surrounded by a fleshy disk containing honey in a 
thin layer, accessible to short-lipped insects. It is tricecious. There 
are staminate flowers with rudimentary pistils, and pistillate flowers 
with rudimentary stamens, and hermaphrodite flowers which are male 
as a rule in function, and rarely produce seeds. 
The flowers have no attraction except to flies, which cross the 
flowers in every direction with outspread labella, touching anthers and 
stigmas in different places. Four anthers stand out some distance from 
the stigma on rigid anther-stalks and open outwards, when the stigma 
is not ripe, and the lobes are not outspread. They separate on the 
second day, and after pollination has ensued. Only by a separation 
of the sexual organs is it possible for cross-pollination of the plant to 
take place, while self-pollination cannot happen. 
The Spindle Tree is visited by Diptera (Syrphide, Muscide, 
Bibionidez), Hymenoptera (Formicide). It is dispersed by the agency 
of animals. The fruit is edible, and the seeds are dispersed by 
animals. The two cotyledons are green. 
Spindle Tree is partly a humus-loving plant requiring a humus soil, 
and partly a sand plant, and living on sand soil. 
Caeoma euonymt forms yellow pustules on the leaves and young 
branches. Death’s Head Hawk Moth, Copper Underwing (Amphi- 
pyra pyramidia), Scorched Carpet (Ligdza adustata), Theristis candela, 
and Acrobasis angustella, Hyponomeuta cognatella, Hf. plembellus, 
H1. euonymellus, Abraxas adustata, and the Homoptera, Aphis euonyme, 
Stphonophora prsz, attack it. 
L-uonymus, Theophrastus, is from two Greek words, denoting to- 
gether “having a good name”, therefore lucky, prosperous. 
The English names are: Ananbeam, Butcher's Prick-tree, Cat-rash 
or Cat Rush, Cat-tree, Cat-wood, Death Alder, Dogrise, Dogtooth 
Berry, Dogtree, Dogwood, Foul-rush, Gadrise, Gaiter-tree, Gaten- 
tree, Gatteridge, Louse Berry, Pincushions, Prickwood, Skewer-wood, 
Skiver, Skiver-timber, Spoke Wood, Witch Wood. Prick timber, &c., 
refers to its use as skewers, &c., and so does Skewer-wood. It was 
called Cat Rush, &c., ‘‘ perhaps from having a green bark like a rush”. 
In Bucks it is unlucky to bring it into the house. The name Dogwood 
was supposed to be given because a preparation of the leaves was 
given to dogs to drive away vermin, and the name Louse Berry was 
given because the berries when sprinkled on the hair destroy lice. 
The wood is very hard, hence its employment in making skewers. 
