326 



THE WOODBINE, OR HONEYSUCKLE. 



LONICERA PERICLYMENUM. 



Natural Order — Caprifoliace^. 



Class — Pektandei a. Ort?er— Monogyni a. 



No British shvub claims our favourable notice so early 

 in the season as the Honeysuckle ; for even before the 

 earliest Snowdrop has ventured to pierce the unthawed 

 earth Ave may discover in the sheltered wood or hedge- 

 bank its wiry stems, throwing out at every joint tufts of 

 tender green foliage. In this state it is even richer in 

 promise than the fully-expanded winter flowers, for, be- 

 longing as it does to the brightest days of summer, its 

 opening buds carry us away at once to the genial season 

 when the fields are decked with their gayest attire, and 

 the air loaded with the most delicious perfumes, among 

 Avhich its own fragrance is to occupy no mean position. 

 Later in the j^ear it engages our attention by its twisting 

 stems clinging for support to some lustier neighbour, and 

 climbing with undeviating accuracy from left to right 

 until it has overtopped its friendly support, when it asserts 

 its independence, loses a good deal of its twining charac- 

 ter, and displays its numerous clusters of trumpet-shaped 

 flowers. 



As its coil of stem, Avhen once formed, never materially 

 enlarges, and is too tough to yield to the expanding force 

 of the tree around which it twines, it is a mischievous 

 neighbour to the young sapling, stopjiing its growth, and 

 forming a spiral channel in its bark, which is eventually 

 the source of disease and death. 



The Honeysuckle is in most luxuriant bloom in June : 

 its flowers, copiously stored with honey, are then rifled 

 by such insects as are furnished with a long proboscis ; 

 while others, Avhich cannot reach to the bottom of its 



