Part 66

+CAPRIFOLIACEAE+

+Sheepberry. Nannyberry+

Viburnum lentago L.

HABIT.--A low tree or shrub 15-25 feet high, with a short trunk 6-10 inches in diameter; numerous tortuous branches form a wide, compact, rounded crown.

LEAVES.--Opposite, simple, 2-4 inches long, one-half as broad; ovate to suborbicular; finely and sharply serrate; thick and firm; lustrous, bright green above, pale and marked with tiny black dots beneath; petioles broad, grooved, more or less winged, about 1 inch long.

FLOWERS.--May-June, after the leaves; perfect; small; cream-white, borne in stout-branched, scurfy, flat, terminal cymes 3-5 inches across; calyx tubular, 5-toothed; corolla 5-lobed, cream color or white, 1/4 inch across; stamens 5, with yellow anthers; ovary 1-celled, with short, thick, green style and broad stigma.

FRUIT.--September; a fleshy drupe, 1/2 inch long, ovoid, flattened, blue-black, borne in few-fruited, red-stemmed clusters; stone oval, flat, rough; flesh sweet, edible.

WINTER-BUDS.--Leaf-buds narrow, acute, red, scurfy-pubescent, 1/2 inch long; flower-buds swollen at the base, with spire-like apex, grayish with scurfy pubescence, 3/4 inch long.

BARK.--Twigs at first light green, rusty-pubescent, becoming dark red-brown; red-brown on old trunks and broken into small, thick plates.

WOOD.--Heavy, hard, close-grained, ill-smelling, dark orange-brown, with thin, whitish sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Frequent throughout the state.

HABITAT.--Prefers rich, moist soil along the borders of forests; roadsides; river-banks.

NOTES.--Too small for street use. Propagated from seed or by cuttings.

FOOTNOTES:

Ref.--Britton: North American Trees, pp. 257-8.]

means that the acorns mature in the autumn of the second season, hence immature acorns will be found on the last season's twigs, and mature acorns on the ground beneath the tree.]

+GLOSSARY+

With page references to explanatory figures.

Abortion. Imperfect development or non-development of an organ or part.

Acuminate. Gradually tapering to the apex. Page XII.

Acute. Terminating with a sharp angle. Page XII.

Alternate. Said of leaves, branches, buds, etc., scattered singly along the stem; not opposite.

Androgynous. Composed of both staminate and pistillate flowers.

Anterior. The front side of a flower, remote from the axis of inflorescence.

Anther. The part of a stamen which bears the pollen. Page xiii.

Apetalous. Without petals.

Apex. The top, as the tip of a bud or the end of a leaf which is opposite the petiole.

Apiculate. Ending in a short-pointed tip.