50  The  Useful  Species  of  Viburnum.      { *m'j£*J£m' 
about  \  to  i  inch  long,  opposite,  thick,  varying  in  shape  from  broadly 
obovate  to  spatulate,  obtuse  at  the  apex,  wedge-shaped  at  the  base 
towards  the  short  petiole,  and  on  the  somewhat  revolute  margin  either 
entire  or  slightly  crenate  or  denticulate,  chiefly  towards  the  apex. 
Both  surfaces  are  smooth,  the  upper  one  being  dark-green  and  glossy, 
the  lower  one  more  greyish-green  and  marked  with  numerous  minute 
brownish  dots.  The  inflorescence  consists  of  small  sessile  three-rayed 
cymes,  with  white  perfect  flowers,  which  produce  small  ovoid-oblong 
black  and  one-seeded  drupes.  The  wood  is  tasteless,  the  bark  has 
quite  a  distinct  bitter  taste  j  but  the  bitterness  of  the  leaves  is  by  far 
more  persistent.  As  far  as  may  be  judged  from  the  taste,  the  leaves 
would  appear  to  mainly  possess  whatever  medicinal  virtue  may  reside 
in  the  plant  ;  how  effectual  they  may  be  as  an  antiperiodic  I  am  unable 
to  say. 
Viburnum  prunifolium,  Lin. — Dr.  Phares,  of  Newtonia,  Miss., 
in  1867,  called  attention  to  the  properties  of  the  bark  of  this  species, 
ascribing  to  it  nervine,  antispasmodic,  tonic,  astringent  and  diuretic 
properties,  and  recommending  it  as  particularly  useful  in  preventing 
abortion  and  miscarriage.  The  species  is  a  tall  shrub  or  small  tree, 
from  10  to  20  feet  high,  growing  in  thickets,  and  is  readily  recognized 
by  its  oval  or  obovate,  sharply  serrulate  leaves,  which  are  opposite, 
glossy  above,  about  two  inches  long  and  raised  upon  short,  slightly 
margined  petioles.  It  occurs  in  the  United  States  from  Connecticut 
south  to  Florida  and  west  to  Mississippi,  and  is  generally  known  as 
black  haw,  the  fruit  being  a  small  edible  blue-black  drupe,  containing  a 
flat  and  smooth  putamen.  The  leaves,  like  those  of  the  allied  Vib. 
nudum,  Lin.,  and  its  variety  cassinoides,  have  occasionally  been  used  as 
a  substitute  for  tea. 
Viburnum  opulus,  Lin. — This  species  is  quite  extensively  distrib- 
uted. It  is  indigenous  to  Canada  and  found  in  the  northern  United 
States  and  southward  along  the  Alleghanies  to  Maryland  \  likewise 
throughout  a  great  portion  of  Europe  and  of  the  northern  section  of 
Asia.  In  favorable  localities  it  attains  a  height  of  12  to  15  feet,  but 
is  more  generally  a  lower  shrub,  with  a  grey  or  greyish-brown  bark, 
broad,  three-lobed,  toothed  or  crenate  leaves,  aud  globular,  acidulous 
bright  red  drupes,  having  a  flat,  smooth  putamen.  From  the  resem- 
blance of  the  fruit  to  the  cranberry,  this  species  is  known  on  this  con- 
