414 lAl KACK.IC. (I.AIKKL KAMILV.) 



(•(lUiil. — l>rv iiim- l.arri'iis, Floridii to South Carolina. July-Sojjt. ^ — 

 Siviii •i°-3'-^ lii^li. Lowest leaves 4'-0' long. Flowers very numerous, 

 scruMil. 



OuDKK 111. LAl'KACK-^. (Lai'hkl Family.) 



ArDiiialic trees or shrub.>< (cxcejit Ca.ssytu), with alternate siiiiplc 

 minutely dotted leaves, without stipules, and perfect or polygamous 

 clustered Howers. — Calyx 6 - 9-parted, imbricated in 2 rows. Stamens 

 6 or more, in 1- 4 rows: anthers adnate, *_'-l-celled, o]iening by lid- 

 like valves. Ovary free, 1-celled, with a solitary ana(ro]i()ns suspended 

 ovule. Style sinii>le, thick : stigma obtuse. Fruit a drupe or berry. 

 Seed without alliunieu. Embryo large. Kailiclc superior. 



Synopsis. 



Tbide 1. LAURINE.E. Fruit naked. — Trees or shrubs. 



» Flowers perfect. Stamens 12, the 3 inner ones sterile. 



1. PERSEA. Anthers 4-celled, 4-valved. Calyx persistent. 



2. NECTANDRA. Anthers 4-celled, 4-valved. Calyx lobes deciduous. 



* • Flowers dioecious. Stamens 9, all fertile. 



3. SASSAFRAS. Involucre none. Anthers 4-celled. 



4. LIXDERA. Involucre 4-leaved. Anthers 2-celled. 



5. LITSE.\. Involucre 2 - 4-leaved. Anthers 4-celled. 



Tribe XI. CASSYTE^E. Fruit enclosed in the fleshy calyx. —Leafless twining par- 

 asites. 



6. CASSYTA. Flowers perfect. Stamens 9. Anthers 2-ceIled. 



1. PERSEA, Gcertn. Red Bay. 



Flowers perfect. Calyx deeply 6-parted, persistent. Stamens 1 2, in 4 rows, 

 the inner ones sterile and gland-like. Filaments pubescent, the iinier fertile 

 ones higlandular. Anthers 4-celled, those of the two outer rows introrse, of 

 the inner row extrorse. Stigma disk-like. Drupe ovoid. — Trees or shrubs, 

 with evergreen entire petioled leaves, and greenish or wliite tiowers, in axil- 

 lary peduncled clusters or panicles. 



1. P. Carolinensis, Nees. Branchlets smootliish ; leaves oblong or 

 lanceolate-oblong, smooth and deep green above, glaucous beneath, obscurely 

 veined ; flowers silky, in cymose dusters, on peduncles shorter than the peti- 

 oles ; calyx lobes unequal, persistent ; drupe blue. ( Laurus, L. ) — Rich shady 

 woods, Florida to North Carolina. .July. — A tree 20° -40° high. Leaves 

 2' -3' long. 



Var. palustris, Chapm. Shrubby; the branchlets, lower surface of the 

 leaves, and tlowcr.^ densely tomentose ; leaves strongly veined, pale green, va- 

 rving from oval to lanceolate; peduncles longer than the petioles. — Ponds 

 and pine barren swamps. July. — Shrub 4° -10° high. Leaves 3' -6' long. 

 Flowers larger. 



2. NECTANDRA, Rottb. 



Calvx rotate, 6-parleil. the lobes deciduous. Anthers nearly sessile, 4-celled. 

 Drupe with its base enclosed in the cup-like persistent calyx tube. Otherwise 

 like the preceding. 



