RHODODENDRON. 203 



the bee feeds upon, and the honey thence 

 obtained drives those mad that eat of it. 



" Ev'n as those bees of Trebizond, — 



Which from the sunniest flowers that glact 

 With their pure smile the garden round, 

 Draw venom forth that drives men mad !" 



T. Moore. 



The upper segment of the flowers of this 

 plant performs the office of nectary. It is 

 grooved in the middle, and is so fertile in the 

 formation of honey, that you may observe a 

 sweet globule in almost every expanded 

 flower. There are in this part spots of a 

 dingy purple, that indicate poison, and so 

 well were the Romans acquainted with the 

 poisonous nature of this honey, that they 

 would not receive the Pontic honey in tri- 

 bute, but obliged the unfortunate inhabitants 

 of that neighbourhood to pay them a double 

 portion of wax in lieu of it. 



Dr. Turner, who wrote on this plant about 

 the year 1568, says, " I have sene thys tre in 

 diverse places of Italy, but I care not if it 

 neuer com into England, seyng it in all 

 poyntes is lyke a pharesey, that is beauteus 

 without, and within a rauenus wolf and mur- 

 derer." 



Notwithstanding this appalling character, 

 the Pontic rhododendron found its way into 



