CORNEL THEE. 183 



planted between laurels or other evergreens ; 

 and although its small umbels make no very 

 gay appearance by their greenish-white petals, 

 which open in June, and often again in Octo- 

 ber, yet the variety of red, yellow, and umber 

 tints which its foliage affords in the autumn, 

 fully compensates for any want of splendour 

 in its blossoms. 



The English names of this shrub, are 

 scarcely less numerous than the tints of its 

 leaves. It is often called female cornel, 

 to distinguish it from comas mascula, and 

 hound's berry-tree, hound's-tree, dog's berry- 

 tree, (because, says Parkinson, the fruit 

 is not even fit for the dogs); and, from 

 hence, it has the name of dogwood. It is 

 called prickwood, from its use in making 

 skewers. Gerard tells us, " that in the north 

 of England, it was known by the name of 

 gaten-tree and gater-tree." 



The cormus sanguinea abounds in most 

 hedge-rows and copses, where the soil is of a 

 calcareous nature. It sends out abundance 

 of suckers, and as it branches out close to the 

 ground, it frequently propagates itself by 

 layers. The fruit may more properly be 

 styled an umbilicate drupe, than a berry. It 

 ripens in August, and is of a purple so dark, 



n 4 



