﻿LAUREL 
  FAMILY 
  95 
  

  

  1. 
  A. 
  triloba 
  Dunal. 
  PAPAW. 
  A 
  small 
  tree, 
  10-20 
  ft. 
  high 
  ; 
  

   bark 
  nearly 
  smooth, 
  lead-colored. 
  Leaves 
  oblong-obovate, 
  acute 
  at 
  

   the 
  apex, 
  obtuse 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  rusty-downy 
  when 
  young 
  and 
  becoming 
  

   smoother 
  with 
  age, 
  6-10 
  in. 
  long. 
  Flowers 
  on 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  previ- 
  

   ous 
  season, 
  appearing 
  before 
  or 
  with 
  the 
  leaves 
  ; 
  the 
  short 
  peduncles 
  

   and 
  the 
  sepals 
  brown-downy 
  ; 
  petals 
  purple, 
  obovate, 
  3-4 
  times 
  

   longer 
  than 
  the 
  sepals. 
  Fruit 
  3-5 
  in. 
  long, 
  edible 
  when 
  ripe. 
  Com- 
  

   mon 
  on 
  banks 
  of 
  streams, 
  especially 
  S. 
  and 
  S.W. 
  The 
  bark 
  is 
  very 
  

   tough 
  and 
  is 
  often 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  place 
  of 
  rope.* 
  

  

  38. 
  LAURACEJE. 
  LAUREL 
  FAMILY 
  

  

  Aromatic 
  plants, 
  nearly 
  always 
  trees 
  or 
  shrubs. 
  Leaves 
  

   alternate, 
  simple, 
  usually 
  entire, 
  and 
  marked 
  with 
  translucent 
  

   dots. 
  Calyx 
  regular, 
  hypogynous, 
  of 
  4 
  or 
  6 
  colored 
  sepals. 
  

   Stamens 
  in 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  circles 
  of 
  3 
  each, 
  the 
  anthers 
  opening 
  by 
  

   valves. 
  Style 
  single. 
  Fruit 
  a 
  1 
  -seeded 
  berry 
  or 
  drupe. 
  

  

  I. 
  SASSAFRAS 
  Nees. 
  

  

  A 
  tree 
  with 
  rough, 
  yellowish 
  bark 
  and 
  a 
  spreading 
  top. 
  

   Leaves 
  deciduous, 
  entire 
  or 
  2-3-lobed. 
  Flowers 
  dio3cious, 
  

   involucrate, 
  at 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  twigs 
  of 
  the 
  previous 
  season. 
  

   Calyx 
  6-parted, 
  persistent 
  in 
  the 
  pistillate 
  flowers. 
  Stamens 
  

   9, 
  in 
  3 
  rows. 
  Pistillate 
  flowers 
  with 
  4-6 
  abortive 
  stamens 
  

   and 
  a 
  single 
  ovary. 
  Fruit 
  a 
  drupe.* 
  

  

  1. 
  S. 
  variifolium 
  Ktze. 
  SASSAFRAS. 
  A 
  tree, 
  usually 
  small 
  and 
  slen- 
  

   der, 
  but 
  sometimes 
  with 
  a 
  trunk 
  3 
  ft. 
  in 
  diameter 
  and 
  125 
  ft. 
  high. 
  

   Leaves 
  oval, 
  entire, 
  mitten-shaped 
  or 
  3-lobed, 
  downy 
  when 
  young 
  but 
  

   becoming 
  smooth 
  with 
  age, 
  dark 
  green 
  above, 
  paler 
  below, 
  petiolate. 
  

   Racemes 
  several 
  in 
  a 
  cluster, 
  peduncled 
  ; 
  flowers 
  yellow. 
  Stamens 
  

   about 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  the 
  sepals. 
  Fruit 
  dark 
  blue, 
  ovoid, 
  on 
  thickened 
  red 
  

   pedicels. 
  All 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  tree 
  aromatic. 
  Trees 
  producing 
  pistillate 
  

   flowers 
  rare. 
  Common. 
  The 
  wood 
  is 
  valuable 
  for 
  cabinet 
  making, 
  

   and 
  an 
  aromatic 
  oil 
  is 
  extracted 
  from 
  the 
  bark.* 
  

  

  H. 
  BENZOIN 
  Fabric. 
  

  

  Shrubs. 
  Leaves 
  deciduous, 
  entire. 
  Flowers 
  in 
  lateral, 
  sessile 
  

   clusters, 
  appearing 
  before 
  the 
  leaves, 
  dioecious 
  or 
  somewhat 
  

   monoecious. 
  Involucre 
  of 
  4 
  scales. 
  Stamens 
  9 
  in 
  the 
  staminate 
  

  

  