Arbutus, a genus of evergreen shrubs belonging to the natural order ericaceœ. The fruit is a berry containing many seeds. The most remarkable species of this genus is the arbutus of Virgil, called the A. unedo, or the strawberry tree, the berries of which bear a strong resemblance to the common strawberry. It is a native of the south of Europe and the Levant. In northern Europe it is a hardy evergreen, sometimes attaining to a height of 20 feet, bearing greenish-yellow blossoms in October and November, and bright yellow and red berries in November and the following months. At the lake of Killarney in Ireland there are beautiful groves of this species of arbutus, which give a charming aspect to the country. Its berries, if eaten freely, are apt to produce stupefaction. In Corsica a pleasant wine is said to be prepared from them. Its bark and leaves are astringent. The oriental arbutus, A. andrachne, is a native of the Levant, and has similar narcotic qualities. It is superior in beauty, but much less hardy in cold climates, not bearing fruit in northern Europe. Its leaves are broader and less serrated; its bark peels off so as to leave the stem always smooth, and of a clear bright cinnamon-brown color.

The mule arbutus, A. hybrida, apparently a cross between these two, has great beauty of foliage, and in moderately cold regions grows well, but does not bear berries in northern Europe. A. procera is a native of California, cultivated as an ornamental evergreen in the gardens of Great Britain. - The trailing arbutus (epigœa repem) is a plant of the same order, but of a different genus. It takes its generic name (Gr. and upon the ground) from its trailing lowly habit, and its common name Mayflower from the season of its blossoming. The leaves are alternate, coriaceous, and evergreen; the stems and other portions of the plant are covered with reddish, bristling hairs; and the cluster of very fragrant white or pink flowers appears in the axils of last year's leaves. It is found throughout New England, especially near the coast, on the edges of pine forests, and it also grows in great perfection in the valley of the Connecticut. It is also called ground laurel.

Arbutus unedo, or Strawberry Tree.

Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens).