XLviii. olea'ceje : xigu'strum. 



629 



sk 



1? t 1 



L. vulga're Trag. 



The common Privet. 



Identification. Trag. Hist., 1005. ; Lin. Sp., 1. p. 10. ; Don's Mill., 4. p. 44, 



Synonymes. L. germanicum Bauh. Hist. 475. ; Prini, or Prim-priut ; Troene, Puine Wane, Fr. 

 gemeine Rainweide, Ger. ; Ligustro Olivella, Ital. ' ' 



Derivation. This plant was anciently called prim, or prim-print, from its being used for verdant 

 sculptures, or topiary work, and for primly cut hedges. Puine Wane seems to imply a " little 

 white shrub," from the whiteness of the blossom of the privet ; whicli is alluded to by Virgil and 

 other poets, but whicli soon vanishes, and changes to brown, when exposed to the direct influence 

 of the sun. The German name is combined of rain, green, and weidc, a willow ; alluding to its 

 being supple like the willow, and nearly evergreen. Olivella seems to signify the little ohve. The 

 common English name of Privet may have been given to it from its being frequently planted in 

 gardens to conceal privies. 



Erigraeings. Engl. Bot., t. 7G4. ; Baxt. Brit. Fl. PI., vol. 2. t. 119. ; and our Jigs. 1217. and 1218. 



Spec. Char., 8^c. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, glabrous. Racemes compound, 



coarctate. The flowers are sweet-scented, white at first, but soon change 



to a reddish brown. Berries dark purple, almost black. {Don's Mill) 



A sub-evergreen shrub. Britain, in hedges and woody wastes. Height 6 ft. 



to 10ft. Flowers white; Juiie and July. Berries 



dark purple ; ripe in November, remaining on all the 



winter. 



1217. L. vulgare. 



1218. L. Tulgare. 



Varieties. 



L. 



l! 



L. 



-Berries white. 

 Berries yellow. 



M 



V. 2 leucocarpum. 



V. xanthocdrpuvi. 



V. 4 cklorocdrpum. Berries green. 



3fe L. ?;. 3 sempervlrens. L. italicum Mill., and cur 



Jig. 1219. ; the Italian, or evergreen. Privet. 



This is a most desirable variety for shrubberies ; 



and it is so distinct, that it was considered by 



Miller as a.^pecies. 



L. V. 6 variegdtuvi. Leaves variegated with 



yellow, 

 L. V. 7 angusfifdlium. Leaves narrow. 



1219. ^. V. sempervUrens. 



The leaves, in exposed situations, and on poor soils, are deciduous ; but in 

 sheltered situations, and more especially when the plant is cultivated in gardens, 

 they remain on throughout the winter. From its property of growing under the 

 di"ip of trees, it forms a good sub-evergreen undergrowth, where the box, the 

 holly, or the common laurel, would be too expensive, or too tedious of growth. 

 The privet has been long used in the court-yards of dwelling-houses, for con- 

 cealing naked walls, and preventing the eye from seeing objects or places which 

 it is considered desirable to conceal from the view. It thrives well in towns 

 where pit-coal is used ; and the best hedges surrounding the squares of Lon- 

 don are of this shrub. It is admirably adapted for topiary work, and in Italian 

 gardens, in a British climate, it forms as good a substitute for the olive, as the 

 common laurel does for the orange. The privet grows best in rather a strong 

 loam, somewhat moist ; and it attains the largest size in an open situation ; 

 but it will grow on any soil, and under the shade and drip of deciduous trees. 

 In British nurseries, it is almost always raised by cuttings, which not only pro- 

 duce larger plants of the species in a shorter period, but continue the varieties 



with 



greater certainty. 



When plants are to be raised from seed, the berries 

 s s 3 



