LAURACE.E. (laurel FAMILY.) 415 



1. N. Willdenoviana, Xees. Smooth; leaves lanceolate-oblong, retic- 

 ulate, sliiuiiig-, oji short niarghied petioles; flowers minute in narrow axilhxry 

 panicles which are commonly shorter than the leaves; calyx white, pubescent 

 within, the nearly equal lobes deciduous ; filaments very short, tlie innermost 

 bearded at the apex; drupe black. — South Florida. — Shrub 6° -9° high. 

 Leaves 3' -5' long. Fruiting pedicels club-shaped. 



3. SASSAFRAS, Xees. 



Involucre none. Flowers diceciously polygamous. Calyx 6-parted, spread- 

 ing. Stamens of the sterile flowers 9, in 3 rows, all fertile, the 3 inner ones 

 biglandular at the base ; those of tlie fertile flowers 6, sterile : antliers linear, 

 4-celled, 4-valved, introrse. Style subulate: stignui disk-like. Drujjes blue, 

 on thick red pedicels. — Trees, with entire or 2-3-lobed deciduous leaves, and 

 greenish flowers in clustered racemes, appearing before the leaves. 



1. S. officinale, Nees. Leaves ovate, entire or 2-3-lobed, smooth or 

 pubescent; racemes short, silky; flowers sometimes white. (Laurus Sassa- 

 fras, L.) — Dry open woods and old fields. March. — A small tree with 

 spicy bark. 



4. LINDERA, Thuub. Spice-Bush. 



Involucre 4-Ieaved. Flowers dioeciously polygamous. Calyx 6-parted. 

 Stamens of the sterile flowers 9 (more numerous and rudimentary in the fer- 

 tile flowers), in 3 rows : filaments slender, the inner ones lobed and glandular 

 at the base : anthers ovate, 2-celled, 2-valved, introrse. Style short. Drupe 

 obovoid, red, the pedicels not thickened. — Shrubs, with entire deciduous 

 leaves, and dull yellow flowers in lateral sessile clusters, appearing before 

 the leaves. 



1. L. Benzoin, Meisn. Branches slender, smooth; leaves oblong-obo- 

 vate, acute at the base, paler and pubescent beneath, soon smooth ; clusters 

 numerous, smooth. (Laurus, L.) — Banks of streams and low woods, Florida, 

 and northward. Feb. -March. — A shrub 6° -10^ high, with spicy bark. 

 Leaves 3' -5' long. 



2. L. meliSSaBfolia, Blume. Leaves oltlong, short petioled, obtuse or 

 slightly cordate at the base, silky on both sides, as also the branchlets and 

 clusters, at length smooth above; drupes obovoid. (Laurus, Walt.) — Mar- 

 gins of ponds. West Florida to North Carolina Feb. -March. — A shrul) 

 2° -3° high. Leaves V -2' long. 



5. LITSEA, Lam. 



Involucre 2-4-leaved. Flowers dioecious. Calyx Gparted, deciduous. 

 Stamens of the sterile flowers 9, in 3 rows ; those of the fertile flowers numer- 

 ous and rudimentary : anthers 4-celled, 4-valved, introrse. Stigma peltate. 

 Drupe globose. — Trees or shrubs, with entire leaves, and small flowers in 

 clustered umbels. 



1. L, geniculata, Benth. & Hook. Branchlets smooth, zigzag, spread- 

 ing; leaves small, oval or oblong, soon smooth, deciduous; involucre 2-4- 

 flowered ; flowers yellow, appearing before the leaves ; drupe red. (Laurus. 



