SPINDLE TREE. 



EUONYMUS. 



CELASTRINE^. PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIAo 



" Euonyraus/' says Martyn, " frorn the Greek for good name, 

 because the shrub has a had reputation as a poison." French, 

 fusain, or bonnet du pretre ; Italian, fusaria. We are told that, in 

 Wales, it bears a name which signifies that it is the tree on which 

 the black king of Tartarus undutifully hanged his mother. Why, 

 his black majesty must have been as great a rogue as Nero ! 



This genus consists of trees and shrubs, of which the 

 younger branches are four-cornered, and the leaves are 

 opposite. 



The Common Spindle, or Skewer-wood tree, Euonymus 

 Europceus, when growing in hedges, is a mere shrub ; 

 but planted singly, will rise, with a strong woody stem, 

 to the height of twenty feet, or more. The leaves are of 

 a deep green, about three inches long, and one and a 

 quarter broad. About the end of May, or early in J une, 

 come out the flowers in bunches, from the sides of the 

 branches ; the petals are nearly white, and spread in form 

 of a cross. The fruit ripens in October, at which time 

 the seed-vessels spread open, and expose the seeds, 

 which, being of a beautiful rose-colour, make a fine 

 show. 



With the country people this partakes of some of the 

 familiar names of the cornel-tree. The wood is said to 

 be most tough when the shrub is in blossom ; and, cut 

 at that time, is used by the watchmakers for cleaning 



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