shrubbery. It is of value, too, as growing and flowering freely in the
shade. The flowers are sweetly-scented and of a greenish-yellow colour,
and appear about February.

D. MEZEREUM.--The Mezereon. Europe (England). One of the commonest and
most popular of hardy garden shrubs. It is of stout, strict growth, and
produces clusters of pinky, rose, or purplish flowers before winter is
past, and while the branches are yet leafless. Few perfectly hardy
flowering shrubs are so popular as the Mezereon, and rightly so, for a
more beautiful plant could not be mentioned, wreathed as every branch
is, and almost back to the main stem, with the showiest of flowers. It
likes good, rich, dampish soil, and delights to grow in a quiet, shady
nook, or even beneath the spread of our larger forest trees. There are
several very distinct varieties, of which the white-flowered D.
Mezereum flore albo is one of the most valuable. The fruit of this
variety is bright golden-yellow. D. Mezereum autumnale and D. Mezereum
atro-rubrum are likewise interesting and beautiful forms.

D. PETRAEA (_syn D. rupestris_).--Rock Daphne. Tyrol. This is quite
hardy in the more sheltered corners of the rock garden, with neat,
shining foliage and pretty rosy flowers, produced so thickly all over
the plant as almost to hide the foliage from view. At Kew it thrives
well in peaty loam and limestone, and although it does not increase
very quickly is yet happy and contented. It is a charming rock shrub.

D. PONTICA.--Pontic Daphne. Asia Minor, 1759. This is much like D.
lauriola, but has shorter and more oval leaves, and the flowers,
instead of being borne in fives like that species, are produced in
pairs. They are also of a richer yellow, and more sweetly scented.