CAPRIFOLIACEAE 



Sheepberry. Nannyberry 



Viburnum lentago, L. 



HABIT. A low tree or shrub 15-25 feet 'high, with a short 

 trunk 6-10 inches in diameter; numerous tortuous branches form 

 a wide, compact, rounded crown. 



LEAVES. Opposite, simple, 2-4 inches long, one-half as 

 broad; ovate to suborbicular ; finely and sharply serrate; thick 

 and firm; lustrous, bright green above, pale and marked with 

 tiny black dots beneath; petioles broad, grooved, more or less 

 winged, about i inch long. 



FLOWERS. May-June, after the leaves; perfect; small; 

 cream-white, borne in stout-branched, scurfy, flat, terminal cymes 

 3-5 inches across ; calyx tubular, 5-toothed ; corolla 5-lobed, cream 

 color or white, ^ inch across; stamens 5, with yellow anthers; 

 ovary i-celled, with short, thick, green style and broad stigma. 



FRUIT. September; a fleshy drupe, Y 2 inch long, ovoid, 

 flattened, blue-black, borne in few-fruited, red-stemmed clusters; 

 stone oval, flat, rough ; flesh sweet, edible. 



WINTER-BUDS. Leaf-buds narrow,, acute, red, scurfy- 

 pubescent, y 2 inch long; flower-buds swollen at the base, with 

 spire-like apex, grayish with scurfy pubescence, Y^ inch long. 



BARK. Twigs at first light green, rusty-pubescent, becom- 

 ing dark red-brown ; red-brown on old trunks and broken into 

 small, thick plates. 



WOOD. Heavy, hard, close-grained, ill-smelling, dark 

 orange-brown, with thin, whitish sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Frequent throughout the state. 



HABITAT. Prefers rich, moist soil along the borders of 

 forests; roadsides; river-banks. 



NOTES. Too small for street use. Propagated from seed 

 or by cuttings. 



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