BUTTON WOOD. 



CEPHALANTHUS. 



RUBIACE^E. TETRANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 



The botanical name of this tree is derived from two Greek words, 

 and signifies Head-flower, Button-wood, Button-tree, Pond-dog- 

 wood. French, bois a boutons ; Italian, cefalanto. 



THE American Button-wood was introduced here in 

 1735, by Peter Collinson, Esq. In this country it grows 

 six or seven feet high ; the leaves are nearly three inches 

 long, and about an inch and a quarter wide, having a 

 strong vein longitudinally through the middle, and several 

 smaller veins running from thence to the borders ; they 

 are of a light green, and the footstalks near the branches 

 are frequently tinged with red. The ends of the branches 

 are terminated by loose spikes of spherical heads, about 

 the size of a marble, which are composed of many small 

 pale yellow flowers, fastened to an axis in the middle; 

 these appear in July, and in warm seasons are succeeded 

 by seeds, which sometimes ripen in England. 



