150 FLORA DOMESTICA. 



them. The elder tree is supposed to be prejudicial to per- 

 sons reclining under its shade. 



DAPHNE. 



OCTANDKIA MONOGYNIA. 



This genus is named from the nymph beloved of Apollo : some of 

 the species greatly resembling the bay. 



OF this genus, the most beautiful kind, and the kind 

 most frequent in our gardens, is the Daphne Mezereon : 

 also called Spurge-olive, <jrerman Olive-spurge, Spurge-flax, 

 Flowering-spurge, and Dwarf Bay. Most of the European 

 languages give it a name equivalent to Female Bay. The 

 French call it laureolefemelle ; laureole gentille ; boisjoli ; 

 bois gentille ; mal-herbe : in the villages, dzentelliet. The 

 Italians, Daphnoide ; laureolafemina ; biondella [little fair- 

 one] ; cameled, and calmolea. The name Mezereon is said 

 to have been borrowed from the Dutch. 



The Daphne Mezereon is a handsome shrub : the flowers 

 come out before the leaves, early in the spring ; they grow 

 in clusters all round the shoots of the former year. Thus 

 it is as Cowper says : 



** Though leafless well attired, and thick beset 

 With blushing wreaths, investing every spray." 



It is a native of almost every part of Europe : with us, 

 it is very common in the beech woods in Buckingham- 

 shire. 



The branches of the Daphne Mezereon make a good 

 yellow dye. The berries are a powerful poison, but the 

 bark is a very useful and valuable medicine. The two 

 principal varieties of this species of the Daphne are the 

 White-flowered., which has yellow berries, and the Peach- 

 coloured, of whicfe the berries are red. 



