Handbook of Trees of the Northern States and Canada. 347 



The Common or European Buckthorn or 

 Waythorn, sometimes called also the Rhine- 

 berry, is an introduced tree in the United 

 States, as a hedge plant, and has become 

 naturalized in many places throughout tiie 

 eastern states. It is a native of JMirope and 

 western and nortliern Asia. As we find it in 

 this country it occasionally attains the height 

 of 26 to 30 ft., and its short trunk, sometimes 

 12 or 14 in. in diameter, divides neir tlie 

 ground into large upright limbs, which aevplo|) 

 an oblong or spreading bushy top of crooked 

 branches and many small spiny branchlets; or 

 it is often only a spreading bush. It is an 

 interesting species for shrubberies, on account 

 of its small distinct leaves and closely clustered 

 black berries, and it is also a good hedge plant. 

 on account of its many stiff spiny branchlets. 

 Its bark yields a medicine of strong catharti:,- 

 properties, and is also used in making a yellow 

 dye. 



The wood is heavy, hard, firm, very durable, 



of characteristic fine grain and yellowish or 



pinkish brown color, with narrow light yellow 



sap-wood. It is s\iitable for use in turnery, 



for tool-handles, etc.i 



Lrarrs opposite, deciduous, broad ovate or oval, 

 IVj-S in. long, mostly roundod or obtuse at base, 

 obtuse or acute, tinely crenate serrate, glabrous, 

 with 2-4 pairs of prominent veins running from 

 near tlie base nearly to tlie apex ; winter buds 

 scaly. FInicrs (May-,Iune) about % in. wide, in 

 2-r> axillary clusters. 4 numerous ; petals very 

 narrow. Fruit subglobose, black, about Vt in. 

 across, very bitter and containing ?, or 4 nutlets ; 

 seed sulcate on the back.= 



1. A. \V., XII, zr,. 



2. For genus see p. 448. 



