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habit, and in its native wilds attains a height of twenty to thirty 
feet. Its ovate leaves are of a shining light-green, and very 
attractive. The flowers are fleshy, of a creamy-white color, and 
borne in long slender spike-like racemes. The tree is a relative 
of the leatherwood or moosewood, Dirca palustris, of our north- 
eastern woods, belonging tothe Thymeleaceae, or mezereon family. 
In the public conservatories, in houses 4 and 7, will be found 
specimens of this interesting tree. One of these has flowered 
for the first time, and the accompanying illustration was drawn 
from flowers secured from this specimen. 
This tree is known to botanists as Lagetta iintearia, a name 
given to it in 1789 by Lamarck, who, recognizing its differences 
from the old genus Daphne, in which it had first been placed, raised 
it tothe dignity of a genus. It was first called Daphue Lagetto by 
Swartz, in 1788. As Lagetto is the oldest specific name for this 
plant, it must be adopted, and so to botanists this tree must be 
known in future as Lagetta Lagetto (Sw.). 
Fic. 15. The upper figure shows a section of wood with part of the outer bark 
fenced: exhibiting the lace-like character of the inner bark; the lower figure 
represents a whip made from this tree 
