76 SYLVA FL01UFERA. 



early-flowering plant, whose perfume, like the 

 arts of coquetry, is both delightful and 

 dangerous, 



Themezereon sometimes blossoms as early 

 as the end of January or beginning of Febru- 

 ary, and when three or four of them are 

 planted in a group, the effect is very agree- 

 able, as the whole shrub becomes a mass of 

 flowers without confusing the branches, the 

 top of each of which terminates with a tuft 

 of leaves like the crown of a pine apple, but 

 of a beautiful yellow green, which harmonises 

 as agreeably with the garnet set spray, as the 

 grey green contrasts with the golden fruit of 

 the ananas. It is no small recommendation 

 to the mezereon, that it holds its flowers for 

 a considerable length of time, and seldom 

 fades until eclipsed by the arrival of the 

 more delicate petals of the almond, that also 

 blooms on a leafless bough. 



The fruit of the mezereon is a berry of a 

 fine red colour, that is exceedingly orna- 

 mental in June and July, but whose qualities 

 are of a more deadly poison than the arts of 

 the coquette, whose injuries seldom prove 

 mortal. 



The whole of the mezeron is extremely 

 acrid, particularly when fresh, and if retained 

 in the mouth excites great heat and inflam- 



