43^ FLORA. 



3 other series anther-bearing, their anthers 4-celled, 4-valved, those of the third 

 series extrorse and the others introrse in our species. Staminodia large, cordate, 

 stalked. Fruit a berry. [Ancient name of some oriental tree.] About 50 species, 

 natives of America. Besides the following another occurs in Fla. 



Twigs and petioles puberulent or nearly glabrous. i. P. Borbonia. 



Twigs and petioles densely tomentose. 2. P. pubescens* 



1. Persea Borbonia (L.)Spreng. RED BAY. ISABELLA -WOOD. (I. F. f. 1652.) 

 A tree, with dark red bark. Leaves lanceolate, oblong or oblong- lanceolate, bright 

 green above, paler beneath, glabrous when mature, 2-5 cm. wide, obscurely veined, 

 narrowed at the base; petioles 1-2.5 cm - l n gj peduncles short, axillary, often little 

 longer than the petioles, bearing few-flowered panicles ; calyx puberulent, spread- 

 ing in fruit, its inner segments longer than the outer; berries dark blue, about 12 

 mm. in diameter, their pedicels thick, red. Along streams and borders of swamps, 

 Del. (?), Va. to Fla., Tex. and Ark. April-June. Fruit ripe Aug. -Sept. 



2. Persea pubescens (Pursh) Sarg. SWAMP BAY. (I. F. f. 1653.) Bark 

 brown ; leaves oval, oblong or lanceolate, glabrous and shining above when mature, 

 pubescent beneath or also tomentose on the veins, strongly veined, 1-4 cm. wide; 

 petioles 0.8-1.6 cm. long ; peduncles tomentose, mostly longer than the petioles, 

 sometimes 5-8 cm. long; calyx tomentose, its inner segments longer than the outer; 

 berry dark blue, 12-18 mm. in diameter. In swamps and along streams, S. Va. 

 to Fla. and Miss. May-July. Fruit ripe Sept. 



2. SASSAFRAS Nees & Eberm. 



A rough- barked tree, with broad entire or 2-6-lobed leaves, and yellow dioe- 

 cious flowers in involucrate umbelled racemes at the ends of twigs of the preceding 

 season, unfolding with or before the leaves, the involucre composed of the persist- 

 ent bud-scales. Calyx 6-parted, that of the pistillate flowers persistent, its seg- 

 ments equal. Staminate flowers with 3 series of 3 stamens, the 2 outer series with 

 glandless filaments, those of the inner series with a pair of stalked glands at the 

 base. Anthers introrse, 4-valved. Pistillate flowers with about 6 staminodia and 

 an ovoid ovary. Fruit an oblong -globose blue drupe. [The popular Spanish name.] 

 A monotypic genus of eastern N. Am. 



i. Sassafras Sassafras (L.) Karst. SASSAFRAS OR AGUE TREE. (I. F. f. 

 1654.) A tree sometimes 40 m. high, the twigs and leaves mucilaginous, pubescent 

 when young but becoming glabrous. Leaves oval or often as wide as long, mem- 

 branous, pinnately veined, petioled; racemes several or numerous in the umbels, ped- 

 uncled ; flowers about 6 mm. broad; stamens about equalling the calyx-segments; 

 fruiting pedicels red, much thickened below the calyx; drupe nearly 1.2 cm. high. 

 In dry soil, Me. to Ont., Mich., Fla. and Tex. April-May. Fruit ripe July-Aug. 



3. MALAPOENNA Adans. 



Leaves entire, deciduous in our species. Flowers small, greenish or yellow, in 

 umbels or almost capitate, involucrate by the bud -scales, axillary, or in the follow- 

 ing species unfolding before the leaves at the nodes of twigs of the previous season. 

 Calyx 6-parted, deciduous. Staminate flowers much as in Sassafras, bearing 3 

 series of 3 stamens, their anthers all 4. c elled. 4-valved and introrse. Pistillate 

 flowers with 9 or 12 staminodia and a globose or oval ovary. Fruit a small drupe. 

 [Malabar name.] About 100 species, natives of tropical and warm regions of both 

 the Old World and the New, only the following known in N. Am. 



i. Malapoenna geniculata (Walt.) Coulter. POND SPICE. (I. F. f. 1655 ) 

 A much-branched shrub, with terete smooth zigzag twigs. Leaves oblong, firm. 

 1-5 cm. long, 6-13 mm> wide, narrowed at the base, glabrous above, paler and 

 puberulent, at least on the veins, beneath, or quite glabrous when mature; umbels 

 2-4-flowered, sessile ; involucres of 2-4 scales ; flowers yellow, less than 4 mm. 

 broad ; drupe globose, red. about 6 mm. in diameter. In swamps and wet soil, 

 S. Va. to Fla. March-April. 



4. BENZOIN Fabric. 



Leaves alternate, pinnately veined and in our species deciduous. Flowers 

 dioecious or polygamous, yellow, in lateral sessile involucrate clusters unfolding 



