{44 LAURUS SASSAFRAS, 
trunk is much cracked and of a greyish colour ; 
the young twigs are of a reddish green. 'The 
leaves are remarkable for the variety of their form 
on the same tree. Those which proceed first 
from the bud are usually oval and entire; the 
next have the same form with a lobe on one side : 
the last and most numerous have regularly three 
lobes. They grow on petioles, and are very 
downy when young, but become smoother by age. 
The flowers grow from the sides of the branches 
below the leaves, having the scales of the former 
bud for their floral leaves. They are disposed in 
short slender racemes of a pale green colour, each _ 
flower having six oblong segments. — Different 
trees produce barren and perfect flowers. The 
barren flowers have nine stamens, six of which 
are exterior and three interior. The perfect flow- 
ers, the kind represented in our plate, have only 
six stamens, with short filaments and heart-shap- 
ed anthers. Nectary none. Germ roundish with 
a straight, erect style. Fruit an oval drupe of a 
deep blue colour, supported by a red inerassated 
pedicel. Only a small number of the trees pro- 
duce fruit. Led 
The bark of this tree has a fragrant smell 
and a very agreeable spicy taste. The flavour of 
the root is most powerful, that of the branches 
