Laurus benzoin. 93 
Arnor Virginiana citree vel limonii folio, benzoinum fundens. Comm. Hort. 
Arpor Virginiana, pishaminis folio baccata benzoinum redolens. Pluk. 
Laurus, sub genus, Euosmos benzoin. Nutt. 
PHARM. 
Lavurt benz. Cortex et bacca. The bark and berries. 
THe term Laurus was the ancient name for the bay-tree, and it 
is now continued, not only to designate that tree, but is applied to 
a genus, comprising in common with it, a great number of fine aro- 
matic shrubs and arborescent vegetables. 
The laurus benzoin is one of these, and it is, without doubt, one 
of the finest aromatic shrubs of our country. It is polygamous, and 
rises to the height of from four to ten feet, and is very bushy. The 
stems are of an ash colour, often spotted with white dots. The 
flowers appear early in April or the last of March, long before 
the leaves put out. About the first week of April the leaves are about 
as far advanced as represented in Fig. 4, of the plate. They after- 
wards become the size of those represented in Figs. 2, and 3. ‘They 
are cuneate-oboval, nearly pubescent beneath, and always paler 
than above. ity J 
The greenish-yellow flowers appear in small umbels, containing 
each from two to four flowers; the pedicels in these umbels are 
