THE HONEYSUCKLE. 47 



him, the point of the sarcasm being that the plant selected 

 to bear his name throws up a conspicuous mass of foliage, 

 while the flower and fruit are, when produced, very small 

 in proportion to what might be anticipated. 



The common name honeysuckle clearly points to its 

 sweetness and melliferous qualities, while woodbine, though 

 endeared to us by poetical associations, does but express 

 its binding hold on the trees to which it owes its support. 

 Its long woody boughs exercise a considerable restriction 

 on the growth of young wood ; we have often seen young 

 hazels deeply furrowed in spiral lines by the tightness of its 

 hold, and in such a case it cannot but be injurious. 



The branches of the honeysuckle stretch for long dis- 

 tances over the hedgerow, and reach to a very considerable 

 height up any trees that may be available for their support. 

 Few can have wandered down some lane in the summer- 

 time without noticing the long lines of the honeysuckle 

 stems running up the tree-trunks, or waving in the wind 

 from amidst their lower branches ; tossing their graceful 

 clusters of blossom to the breeze, and filling the air with 

 their fragrant odour an odour that of ten reveals its presence 

 before the eye is caught by the masses of delicate blossoms. 

 The leaves always grow in pairs, and are somewhat pointed 

 and egg-shaped. The flowers grow in large bunches, all 

 springing from one point at the extremities of the 

 branches. The blossoms vary very considerably in colour, 

 some being almost white, others decidedly pink, while 

 others again are a deep warm tint of yellow. The form of 

 the blossom, with its elongated tube and widely-extended 

 mouth, the far-protruding stamens and the quaint curls 

 and twists assumed by the lips, is very pleasing, as may be 

 seen in our plate, and the forms of the buds before opening 



