Daphnomancy took their laurel branches withered in 68 AD, which contemporary augurs associated with Nero's death. Daphnomancy Daphnomancy is a form of pyromancy whereby the future is predicted by burning bay laurel leaves. A loud crackling from the fire is a positive omen, whereas silence is a negative one. "Daphno" is thought to be a tribute to Daphne, an ancient Greek nymph turned into the first laurel tree by Apollo. Originally, the leaves were selected from the Sacred Grove of Apollo, but as time moved on the practice of daphnomancy spread to pre-Christian era Rome and Greece and was thought to
Daphnandra johnsonii "Daphnandra micrantha", the Australian socketwood. Recently it has been recognised as a separate species. The type specimen collected in the Illawarra district by L.A.S. Johnson, after whom the species was named, by Richard Schodde. The generic name "Daphnandra" refers to a similarity of the anthers of the bay laurel. Greek "daphne" refers to the bay laurel, and "andros" from the Greek for man. The term "socketwood" is from the related species "Daphnandra apatela". A feature of which is where larger branchlets meet the main trunk. This joining resembles a "ball and socket" type joint. A small to medium-sized tree. Growing