Lilacs and Privets 



which the later Physitions call Syringa." And the, 

 " later Physitions " names still persist in our popular 

 terms for these two shrubs, though botanists now call 

 the Lilac " Syringa," and the Syringa, or Mock Orange, 

 " Philadelphus." (See chapter on " Syringa"). 



So, too, Lord Bacon in those same Elizabethan 

 days, spoke of the " Lelach Tree" among the "things 

 of beauty " in his April garden, though he was almost 

 a month too previous in his date, and other writers of 

 the time also refer to it in general terms. Hence it is 

 obvious that this shrub, or small tree, whose native 

 home was the uplands of Eastern Europe, has been a 

 welcome addition to our gardens for centuries, and that 

 to state, as is usually done, that it was " introduced " 

 here in 1597 is entirely misleading. The fact, too, 

 that it can boast of a number of homely names is 

 evidence of its long establishment, for only native 

 plants, or plants of long and intimate standing, acquire 

 the right to a choice of popular names. Its oldest 

 name seems to have been the Pipe Tree, because the 

 stalks and branches are filled with soft pith which can 



be easily removed ; it is said that Turkish pipe stems 



/ 



are commonly made from it. Parkinson (1640), as well 

 as Gerard, refers to it thus. A quaint name, " the 

 Duck's Bill," is probably due to the shape of the 

 flower-buds. "Laylock" and "Lily Oak" are corrup- 

 tions of Lilac, and Lilac itself is from a Persian word 



H 101 



