Crass 1X.—ENNEANDRIA. 
Orper IL—MONOGYNIA.. 
$74, LAURUS. L. (Spicewood, Sassafras, &c.) 
Calix mostly 6-parted. Necfarium consist- 
a of 3, bisetose glands, surrounding the germ. 
f 12, 6 interior, 3 of them sterile and 
n uliferous. Berry 1-seeded. (Stamina va- 
iable in number. Flowers often dioicous:) 
: | trees or shrubs with entire, and sempervirent 
leaves, in some species partly opposite and longitudinal- 
ly nerved; flowers paniculate or racemose axillary and. 
. _ terminal, (a few species have solitary flowers, but are not 
* probably of this genus.) 
Specigs® 1. L. Catesbei. 2. carolinensis. Fibwefthe i in 
July. I hayeé-met with this plant as far to the north as. 
: the Great ypress Swamp, in Sussex country, Delaware,. 
but very raze. The whole plantis aromatic and spicy. 
| 4 extensive genus which affords the Cinnamon, the 
; Cassia, and the Camphor of commerce, is with the above 
; exceptions, 5 species in Japanand 1 in Europe (L. nobilis), 
entirely tropical; India affords 3 of the most important 
seme long eaabcued as spices; in the Canary islands 
are 2, the tropical regions of America afford no 
less than 21, amongst the most remarkable of which is 
L.. caustica of Chili, being poisonous, and the L. Persea, 
called avocado, and alligator-pear, producing a large and 
yery grateful fruit formed like a pear. 
The deciduous leaved species of the United States ap- 
pear to constitute a subgenus, which I propose as follows:. 
_ _ * Evosmus.f Flowers polygamous or dioicous.-—Ca- i 
lie 6-parted. | Wectarium none. Stamina 9, fertile; 6 ex- 
_» terior, naked, the S interior augmented by 6 infertile. 
_- short stamina, ne by pairs; anthers of the sterile 
stamina glanduloid. Berry 1-seeded. 
Trees or shrubs with alternate deciduous leaves, en- 
tire or lobed; flowers appearing before the leaves in small 
7 From wocucs, odoruus. - 
