The Description.

The figure and history of this were sent by Honorius Bellus out of Candy to Clusius, from whom I have it. It is that which Theophrastus calls Adrachne or (as most of the printed books have it), Andrachne, but the former seems the righter, and is the better liked by Pliny, lib. 1, cap. 22. At this day in Candy where it plentifully grows, it is called Adracla. It is rather a shrub than a tree, delighting in rocky and mountainous places, and keeping green winter and summer, having leaves so like those of Bays, that they are distinguishable only by the smell, which these are destitute of. The bark of the bole and all the branches is so smooth, red and shining, that they show like branches of Coral, this bark cracks or breaks off in summer, and peels off in thin flakes, at which time it is neither red nor shining but in a mean between yellow and ash colour. It hath flowers twice in a year like as the Arbutus, or Strawberry tree, and that so like it, that you can scarce know the one from the other; yet this differs from it in that it grows only in the mountains, hath not the leaves jagged, neiher a rough bark; the wood hereof is very hard, and so brittle that it will not bend, and they use it to burn and to make whorls for their women's spindles. Theophrastus reckons up this tree amongst those which die not when their barks are taken off, and are always green, and retain their leaves at their tops all winter long: which to be so Honourius Bellus observed. Bellonius also observed this tree in many places of Syria.

The fruit in temperature, as in shape, is like that of the Strawberry Tree.