DAPH'XE MEZE'REUM EXAMINED. 101 



EDWARD. 



Then you will read a description of it, while I 

 look at the drawing ; and next spring we can try 

 to find some real Mezereon in the hedges. 



MOTHER. 



It is not a very common plant, and I do not 

 think you will find it growing wild in this part of 

 the country ; but that in our garden is of the same 

 species ; and will do as well for examination. The 

 generic name is Daph'iie, and the characters of the 

 genus are these: " It has no calyx ; the blossom 

 " is of one petal, shaped like a funnel; the tube of 

 " the blossom is longer than the border, which 

 " has four flat divisions, ending in points. There 

 " are eight stamens, growing on the inside of the 

 " tube, in two rows; four of them below the other 

 " four, but placed alternately. The germen is egg- 

 " shaped, and contained within the blossom ; the 

 " style very short. The seed-vessel is a pulpy round 

 " berry, which contains a single seed." 



Withering mentions two native species ; and 

 the character which distinguishes the Meze'reum, 

 of which the English name is Mezereon, or Spurge- 

 Olive, consists in the flowers being Sessile, or sit- 

 ting close, without any flower-stalks, and grow- 

 ing upon the sides of the stem, generally three to- 

 gether. The leaves, which are spear-shaped, grow 

 from the ends of the branches, and fall off in the 

 H 3 



