WAYFARING TREE. 



VIBURNUM LANTANA. 



CAPRIFOLIC.*. PENTANDRIA TRIGYKIA. 



Also called wild Guelder rose. French, caniara, mancienne ; 

 Italian, lentaggine. 



THE Lantana is a shrub or small tree, with round, 

 pliant, mealy twigs, whence by some it is called Pliant 

 Mealy tree. The leaves are placed opposite in pairs ; 

 they are of a dark-red colour in the autumn, before they 

 fall : the flowers grow in clusters, in botanical language 

 cymes; they are white, and are succeeded by berries 

 which, when young, are red on one side, and yellow on 

 the other ; when ripe, they are entirely black. 



This tree is a native of all but the most northern parts 

 of Europe; with us. it grows chiefly in woods and 

 hedges, flowering in May. Dr. Withering says, that the 

 bark of the root is used to make bird-lime. 



This is generally supposed to be the Viburnum of 

 Virgil, but this is not easily ascertained ; his is supposed 

 to be a low shrub, because he contrasts it with the tall 

 cypress. Martyn supposes Viburna, in the plural, to 

 have been used by ancient writers, for any shrubs which 

 were used for binding or tying. 



This tree growing plentifully in every corner, affords 

 pins for the yokes of oxen ; and superstitious people, 

 thinking that it protects their cattle from being be witched, 

 place the shrub about their stalls. According to Evelyn, 

 a decoction of the leaves will not only dye the hair black, 

 but will fasten the roots also. 



