LlGUSTRUM VULGARE. PRIVET Or PRIM* 



LIGUSTRUM Lin, Gen. PL Diandrta Monogynia. 



Cor, 4 fida. Bacca tetrafperma* 



Ran Syn, Arbores Baccifer m. 



LIGUSTRUM vulgare, Lin. SyJL Vegetab. p. 54. Sp.PL p. 10. FL Suec. n. 5. Haller. tii/i. n. 530, 

 Scopoli Flor, Carniol. n. 4. Hudjon. FL Angl. ed. 2. p. 3. Lightfoot FL Scot. p. 72. 



LIGUSTRUM Germanicum. Baub. Pin. $>]$. Ge'r.em. p. 1394 Parkin/on. p. 1446. Rait Syn. p. 

 465. Privet or Prim. 



FRUTEX fepeclalis circiter, ramofus, cortex ex cinereo t A SHRUB, ufually about fix feet high, branched, the 

 virefcefis, puncYis plurimis fparfis prominulis| bark of a greenifh-afh colour, irregularly 



exafperata •■: rami oppofiti, junioribus flexilibus, f fprinfcled with numerous prominent points; 



purpurafceritibus, | branches oppofite, the young ones flexible and 



f purplim. 



FOLIA oppofita, breviffirhe petiolata, ovat6-lanceolata, i LEAVES oppofite, ftanding on very flioft foot-ftalks, 

 utrinque glabra, integerrima, inferioribus ad f ovato-lanceolate, fmooth on each fide, per- 



exortum ramulorum minoribus. | fecfly entire, the lower ones at the bottoms of 



I the imall branches leaf!:. 



FLGRES albi, odorati, paniculati. % FLOWERS white, fweet-fcented, forming a panicle. 



PANICULA biuncialis, denfa, fubpyramidata. | PANICLE about two inches in length, clofe and fome* 



f what pyramidal. 



RAMI paniculae ut pedicelli ad len tern villofi. | BRANCHES of the panicle, as well as the flower-* 



y ftalks, villous when magnified. 



CALYX: PeriaNthium monophyllum, minimum, | CALYX : a Pertanthium of one leaf, very fmall, 

 haemifphaericum, albidum, ore quadride'ntato, y hemifpherical, and whitifh, the mouth having 



dentibus ereclis, minimis, Jig. r. | four teeth, which are upright and very minute, 



, . . .1 ■ &• u 



COROLLA monopetala, infundibuliformis, alba, citof COROLLA of One petal, funnel-fhaped, white, foon 



rufefcens. 'Tubus cylindraceus, longior calyce» | changing to a reddifh- brown colour. The tube 



Limbus quadripartitus, patens, laciniis ovatis f cylindrical, longer than the calyx. Limb 



craffis, obtufis, fig. 2. | deeply divided into four fegments, which are 



y fpreading, ovate, thick, and obtufe, Jig. 2. 



STAMINA: Filamenta duo, oppofita, brevifiima, | STAMINA : two Filaments, oppofite, very mort and 

 alba. Anthers majufculae, ereclae, longitu- 1 white. Anthers rather large, upright, al- 



dine fere corolla. Pollen flavefcens, Jig. 3. ? mod the length of the corolla* Pollen yel- 



| lowifh, fig. 3, 



PISTILLUM: Germen fubrotundum. Stylus fili- % PISTILLUM : Germen roundifh. Style filiform, 

 formis, albus, fliperne paululum incraffatus. | white, a little thickened above. Stigma ob- 



Stigma obtufum, crafliufculum, vix mani- % tufe, thickilh, fcarce perceptibly bifid, Jig. 4. 



fefte bifidum, Jig. 4. | 



PERICARPIUM: Bacca globofa, glabra, nigra, uni- 1 SEED-VESSEL: a round, fmooth, mining, black, 

 locularis, fig. 5. % berry of one cavity, Jig. 5, 



SEMINA tria live quatuor, hinc convexa, inde angulata, | SEEDS three or four, convex on one fide, and angular 

 Jig. 6. % on the other, fig. 6, 



Previous to the publication of the Flora Japonica by Profeffor Thunberg*, the prefent celebrated fucceflbr to 

 the immortal Linnaeus, Botanifls were acquainted with one fpecies of Liguftrum only. That gentleman defcribes 

 another, to which he gives the name of japonicuni, and characterifes the two in the following manner : 



Liguflrum vulgare fioliis ova t is obtufis, panicula fimpliciter trichotoma. 



Ligifirumjaponicumfoliis ovatis acuminatis panicula dccompofiti trichotoma. 



In point of utility, not to fay ornament, few of our Englifh or even foreign fhrubs exceed the common Privet. 

 Its chief ufe is to form fuch hedges as are required in the dividing of gardens for ihelter or ornament ; the Italiari 

 or ever-green Privet, as it is called, which is only a variety of the common fpecies, is ufually preferred for this 

 purpofe. The Privet bears clipping admirably well ; is not liable to be disfigured by infects, and having roots formed 

 only of fibres, it robs the ground lefs than almoit any other fhrub. It is found to thrive better in the fmoke of 

 great cities than moil others ; fo that whoever has a little garden in fuch places, and is defirous of having a few 

 plants that look green and healthy, may be gratified in the Privet, becaufe it will flourifh and look well there. 

 Miller fajs it will grow well under the (hade and drip of trees. 



The beff. mode of raifing Privet is from feeds, though it is capable of being propagated by layers and cuttings. 



The Privet is not apt to be eaten by cattle, and the Sphinx Lirufiri^ or Privet Hawk Mothj one of the largeff. as 

 . well as the rnofl beautiful infects we have, is almoft the only one that feeds on it in its Caterpillar ftate. There are 

 few gardens having Privet in which this Caterpillar may not be found in the months of Auguft and September, 

 The'readieft way of difcovering it is by its dung, which is fuffkiently vifible under thofe flirubs on which it feeds. 

 The Meloe veficatorius, commonly known by the name of Cantharides, or Blifter-beetle, is found alfo 011 the leaves 

 of this fhrub. The berries of the Privet continue on the plant till fpring advances, and in times of fcarcity are 

 eaten by different forts of birds ; but by none with fo much avidity as the Bulfinch (Loxia PyrrhulaJ. Bird- 

 catchers who know this, often catch them in the following manner : they take fome large boughs of the Privet iti 

 berry, flick them into the ground where Bulflnches frequent, lime the top twigs, and place a call bird underneath. 



The berries are alfo recommended in dying, colouring of wines, and as affording a purple colour to ftain prints; 

 but for thefe feveral purpofes there are much better materials in common ufe. 



It ufually grows in woods and hedges ; is not nice in its foil or fituation, but flourifhes molt in a moift. foil ? 

 flowers in July, and ripens its berries in Autumn. ^ 



It is found with three leaves at a joint, with variegated leaves, and white berries. HalleR/ 



■- Gsroli Petri Thunberg Flora Japonica, Lipfiae 1784,. 



