HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY 



Flowers. — May, June. Perfect, cream-white, borne in stout, 

 branched, scurfy, flat, terminal cymes, from three to five inches in 

 diameter. Bracts and bractlets, triangular, green, caducous. 



Calyx. — Tubular, equally five-toothed, persistent. 



Corolla. — Rotate, equally five-lobed, imbricate in the bud, cream- 

 white, one-quarter of an inch across ; lobes acute, and slightly 

 erose. 



Stamens. — Five, inserted on the base of the corolla, alternate with 

 its lobes, exserted ; filaments slender ; anthers bright yellow, ob- 

 long, introrse, versatile, two-celled ; cells opening longitudinally. 



Pistil. — Ovary inferior, one-celled ; style thick, short, light green ; 

 stigma broad ; ovules one in each cell. 



Fruit. — Fleshy drupe, crowned with the calyx tube, borne on 

 slender, drooping, red stalks, in few-fruited clusters, oval, flattened, 

 thick skinned, black or dark Ijlue, glaucous, sweet, and rather juicy. 

 Stone oblong oval, flattened. September. 



The Sheepberry is one of the largest of the Viburnums. It is admired for its 

 compact habit, its lustrous foliage which insects rarely disfigure, its beautiful 

 and abundant flowers, its handsome edible fruit and its brilliant autumnal color. 

 It readily adapts itself to cultivation, and is one of the best of the small trees of 

 eastern America for the decoration of parks and gardens in all regions of ex- 

 treme winter cold. It is easily raised from seeds which, like those of the other 

 American species, do not germinate until the second year after they are planted. 



—Charles S. Sargent. 



There is a softness and richness about the flowers and foliage of the Sweet 

 Viburnum which distinguish it above all others of the same genus. 



—George B. P:mekson. 



The one that seems to me to bear the most resemblance to the English Way- 

 faring-tree is the Sweet Viburnum. Many of our shrubs produce more showy 

 flowers, but few surpass it in the beauty of its fruit. The berries are of the size 

 of damsons, hanging profusely from the branches like clusters of grapes. They 

 are dark purple when ripe with a lustre that is not seen in the grape. Just 

 before they ripen they are crimson, and berries of this color are often blended 

 with the ripened fruit. 



— Wilson Flagg. 



182 



