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1. P. Borbonia (L.) Spreng. (RED BAY.) A small tree, hoary with fine down (at 
least when young): leaves oblong, pale, soon smooth above: peduncle bearing few 
flowers in a close cluster: sepals downy, the outer shorter: berries dark blue, on a 
red stalk. (Laurus Barbonia L. P. Carolinensis Nees. )—Swamps, throughout the Gulf 
States, and extending to Trinity River, Texas. 
2. SASSAFRAS Nees. 
Trees, with spicy aromatic bark, very mucilaginous twigs and foliage 
greenish-yellow naked dicecious flowers (appearing with the leaves) 
whieh are involucrate with scaly bracts, 6-parted spreading calyx, 
sterile flowers containing 9 stamens inserted on the base of the calyx 
in 3 rows (3 inner with a pair of stalked glands at the base of each), 
fertile flowers containing 6 short rudiments of stamens and an ovoid 
ovary which ripens into a blue drupe supported on a club-shaped and 
rather fleshy pedicel. 
1. S. officinale Nees. Tree 4 to 30 m. high, with yellowish-green twigs: leaves 
ovate, entire or some of them 3-lobed, soon glabrous,—Extending from the central 
and southern states to the Valley of the Brazos, Texas. 
3. BENZOIN Nees. (WILD ALLSPICE. FEVER BUSH.) 
Shrubs, with honey-yellow polygamo-diccious flowers in almost 
sessile lateral umbel-like clusters (appearing before the leaves) com- 
posed of smaller clusters each of which contains 4 to 6 flowers and is 
surrounded by an involuere of 4 deciduous scales, 6-parted open calyx, 
sterile flowers with 9 stamens in 3 rows (inner filaments 1 or 2-lobed 
and glandular at base) and 2 celled 2-valved anthers, fertile flowers 
with 15 to 18 rudiments of stamens of two forms, and a red obovoid 
drupe with stalk not thickened. (Lindera Thunb.) 
1. B. wstivale (L.) Nees. (Spice BUSH.) Nearly smooth, 18 to 45 dm. high: 
leaves oblong-obovate, pale underneath. (Laurus estivalis L. B. odoriferum Nees. 
Lindera Benzoin Blume. )—Daimp woods, central Texas, 
THYMELEZACER. (MpzEREUM FAMILY.) 
Shrubs, with acrid and very tough (not aromatic) bark, entire leaves, 
and perfect flowers, with a regular simple colored calyx bearing usually 
twice as many stamens as its lobes and free from the 1-celled and 
1-ovuled ovary. 
1. DIRCA L. (Lratierwoop. Moosewoop.) 
A mucl-branched bush, with jointed branchlets, oval-obovate alter- 
nate leaves on very short petioles (the base of which conceals the bud 
of the next season), light yellow flowers (preceding the leaves) in 
clusters of 3 or 4 from a bud of as many scales which form an involucre, 
petal-like truncate tubular-funnelform calyx with wavy or obscurely 
4-toothed border, 8 long stamens inserted on the calyx above the middle 
(alternate ones longer), filiform style, capitate stigma, and a reddish 
oval drupe. 
