12G MEZERE0N. 



coloured bark. The leaves, which appear subsequently to the 

 flowers, are alternate, terminal, sessile, tapering, lanceolate, 

 glabrous, entire, deciduous, and about two inches in length. 

 The flowers are sessile, lateral, and disposed in clusters about 

 three together, on the upper part of the branches, with smooth, 

 ovate, membranous, deciduous bracteae at the base. The 

 perianth is single, inferior, resembling a corolla, of a light rose- 

 colour, seldom white, consisting of a cylindrical tube covered 

 with whitish appressed hairs, and a four-parted limb, separable 

 into two distinct laminae, the outer coloured, the inner herba- 

 ceous ; segments ovate, acute, papillose. The stamens are 

 eight in number, in two rows, inserted into the tube, the four 

 upper opposite the segments of the perianth, the four lower 

 alternate with them ; filaments very short ; anthers oblong, 

 yellow, opening longitudinally. The germen is small, elliptical, 

 globose, containing a solitary pendulous ovule ; style very short, 

 supporting a thin, disciform, downy stigma. The fruit is a 

 globose berry, or rather drupe, of a bright scarlet colour, con- 

 taining in the midst of pulp a single seed, or nut, which is 

 globose, pointed, and covered with a whitish tunic. Plate 33, 

 fig. 3, (a) entire flower ; (&) perianth opened to shew the stamens 

 and pistil ; (c) pistil, natural size ; (c?) the same, magnified ; (e) 

 section of the same to shew the ovule ; (/) section of the drupe; 



(g) nut - 



Mezereon is a native of mountains and woods in many parts 

 of Europe, as far north as Lapland, and is found in several 

 English counties, apparently wild. Miller, who first speaks of 

 it as an indigenous plant, discovered it near Andover, in 

 Hampshire. It has since been found at Laxfield, in Suffolk ; 

 in the beech-woods of Buckinghamshire ; near Appleton, Berks ; 

 also, in Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, and Staffordshire. The 

 flowers appear in March, and in mild seasons about the end of 

 February, prior to the leaves, which are not fully expanded till 

 May. 



The generic name has been given in allusion to the nymph 

 Daphne, who was fabled to have been changed into a laurel ; 

 some of the plants of this genus having the habit of laurels. 

 The specific name is probably of eastern origin, as accord- 

 ing to Richardson, the Persians call this plant Mddzaryoitn. 



