AVe0bu,r'i8>7h8arm'|      The  Useful  Species  of  Viburnum.  51 
tinent  as  high  cranberry  or  cranberry  tree.  The  shrub  preferring  moist 
locations,  and  the  inflorescence  resembling  that  of  the  elder,  its  pop- 
ular German  name  is  Wasserholder  or  water  elder,  sambucus  aquaticus, 
under  which  name  it  was  formerly  officinal.  A  variety  produced  by  cul- 
tivation, has  all  the  flowers  sterile  and  the  cymes  more  or  less  globular 
and  showy  ;  it  is  known  by  the  names  of  snow-ball  and  Guelder-rose. 
The  indigenous  species  was  described  by  Pursh  as  Vib.  oxycoccus  and 
Vib.  edule. 
The  bark  and  flowers  of  the  water  elder  were  formerly  employed 
for  their  supposed  alterative  and  antispasmodic  properties,  the  common 
name  cramp  bark  indicating  the  popular  estimation  in  which  it  was  and 
is,  perhaps,  still  held  in  some  localities.  The  fruit  has  the  general 
properties  of  acidulous  fruits,  and  where  it  is  frequent  is  sometimes 
used  in  place  of  the  cranberry. 
Other  North  American  Species  of  Viburnum. — Chapman  enu- 
merates nine  species  as  being  indigenous  to  the  Southern  United  States 
east  of  the  Mississippi  ;  of  this  number  only  one,  V.  scabrellum,  Tor. 
and  Gr.,  is  peculiar  to  that  section,  while  the'remaining  eight  are  like- 
wise found  in  the  Northern  States,  some  extending  into  Canada  ;  three 
additional  species  are  found  in  the  northern  section,  making  twelve 
indigenous  to  the  United  States.  Aside  from  V.  prunifolium,  referred 
to  before,  the  following  are  met  with  from  the  New  England  States 
southward  to  Florida,  the  last  two  (perhaps  all  three)  being  likewise 
indigenous  to  Canada  ;  they  are  :  V.  nudum,  Lin.,  or  white-rod;  V. 
dentatum,  Lin.,  known  as  arrow-wood,  and  V.  acerifolium,  Lin.,  or 
dockmackie.  Their  leaves  have  a  bitter  taste,  while  the  bark  is  bitter 
and  astringent.  I  am  not  aware  that  they  are  medicinally  employed 
in  any  part  of  North  America. 
Exotic  Species. — De  Candolle's  Prodromus  enumerates  altogether 
47  species,  besides  four  doubtful  ones  from  Japan,  which  are  insuf- 
ficiently known.  Deducting  those  which  are  at  present  regarded  as 
mere  varieties  of  other  species,  the  number  is  reduced  to  about  40  spe- 
cies, 28  of  which  are  exotic  and  distributed  over  Europe,  the  Canary 
Islands,  Africa,  Asia,  the  East  Indian  islands,  the  West  Indies  and 
South  America.    Only  a  few  of  these  appear  to  be  put  to  some  use. 
Viburnum  Dahuricum,  Pall.,  produces  a  sweet  fruit,  which  is  eaten 
in  its  native  country,  the  eastern  section  of  Siberia. 
