LANDMARKS OF BOTANICAL HISTORY GREENE 



33 



As a good example of an antique genus of trees based on leaf 

 characters alone, with no dependence on those of flower or fruit, one 

 recalls the Daphne of the Greeks. The original Daphne with them 

 was the sweet bay, Laurus nobilis Linn., the type-species of the 

 genus Laurus as now received. Its foliage, being lance-shaped, of 

 a somewhat leathery texture, with no marginal indentation, repre- 

 sents a rather common leaf type, and the tree is evergreen. Now 

 there was a period of Greek history within which there was not 

 only some travel to foreign lands , but even some written reports about 

 the natural products of other countries; and there is the most 

 convincing evidence that every new tree or shrub that came to 

 light that was both evergreen and clothed with oblong or lanceolate 

 entire leathery leaves was at once relegated to the genus Daphne ; 

 was named as another kind of laurel. Here is a list, possibly not a 

 complete one, of trees with Laurus foliage which ancient Greeks, 

 on that account alone,. had referred to that genus: Laurus nobilis, 

 Nerium Oleander, Nerium odorum, Avicennia officinalis, Rhizophora 

 mucronata, Ruscus Hypophyllum^; six species of so-called Daphne 

 or laurel, belonging to five different genera, and representing as 

 many different families, all anciently accepted as of one genus, 

 because the foliage in all was much the same, and for no other 

 reason whatsoever. And this again reminds, us that in eastern 

 North America, where there is no laurel, we have a number of 

 kinds of native shrubs that have always been called by that name, 

 just as if they had been members of the genus Laurus to which 

 they are in no wise related. If we ask ourselves how this false 

 naming came to pass, the answer is, that at the time of the early 

 colonization of this new continent the old Greek idea was still 

 dominant, that whatever bush or tree had a laurel foliage was a 

 good enough laurel. The colonists brought that idea hither, and 

 naturally enough applied the name to our Kalmias and Rhododen- 

 drons one and all. 



This classifying by foliage was never received as anything like a 

 general principle everywhere to be applied. So far from that, the 

 rude primitive groupings were accomplished here and there under 

 the sole guidance of the fruit ; though in the main only as to none 

 but its most superficial characteristics. Among fruit-bearing trees 

 the apple tree was perhaps the oldest and most familiar type, unless 

 the pear be excepted; and as new kinds of fruit trees in the course 

 of history became introduced into Europe from other lands, every 

 kind, the fruit of which was of considerable size and of something 



1 Bretzl, Botanische Forschungen des Ahcanderzuges, p. 405. 



