256 THE STORY OF PLANT LIFE 



The berry is dispersed by birds, but is poisonous, 

 and children have died from eating them. 



Bryony is from bruo, turn round, in allusion to 

 the climbing habit. The tendrils project in a hori- 

 zontal manner at first ; on coming in contact with an 

 object the curved tip, by a process called circum- 

 nutation or bowing round, forms a series of coils. 

 These are partly turned one way, partly in the 

 opposite direction, with an equal number of coils in 

 each« This contrivance ensures the strain shall not 

 be too great in one direction. The plant is loosely 

 coiled, and has a certain amount of play to allow for 

 wind, etc. 



White Bryony is called Bryon, Bryony, Red 

 Bryony, Cowbind, Cow's-lick, Cucurd, Elphamy, 

 Fellon-berry, Grapewort, Hedge Grape, Wild Hop, 

 Isle of Wight Vine, Mandrake, Murrain Berries, 

 Wild Nep, Poison-berry, Snake-berry, Tetter-berry, 

 White Vine, Wild Vine, Wood Vine. 



The Bryony w^as called Wylde nepte in the four- 

 teenth century, and the juice was employed in a drug 

 called Dwale, used as an anaesthetic. 



The thick root was used in place of Mandrake. 

 The plant is poisonous, acrid, or blistering. It has 

 cathartic properties, and has been used for dropsy. 



A dye has been obtained from the red berries. 



The Bryony, according to Gerard, was used in 

 place of Mandrake, and he says that "the idle drones 

 that have little or nothing to do but eate and drinke, 

 have bestowed some of their time in carving the roots 



