020 Order 107.— LAURACELE. 



9. FR(ELICH'IA, Mcench. (Named for J. A. J^rolich, a German 

 botanist.) Flowers perfect, 3-bracted ; calyx tubular, 5-cleft at apex ; 

 stamens 5, connate into a tube, appendaged with as many sterile fila- 

 ments ; anthers 1-celled ; stigma capitate or tufted ; utricle valveless, 

 1 -seeded, enclosed in the hardened calyx which bears 2 or 5 longitu- 

 dinal crests. — (]p Herbs with jointed, villous stems, opposite Ivs. and 

 spicate fls. 



F. Florid^na Moq. "Nearly simple, strictly erect, arachnoid pubescent- Ivs. lin- 

 ear, tapering to the base, obtusish at apex; lis. imbricated, in short, dense, clus- 

 tered, cottony spikes. — On sandy river banks, III, also Fla., G-a. to La. Plant 1 

 to 3f high, with a terminal, virgate panicle 6 to 10' long. Lvs. 1 to 2' by 3 to 5". 

 Spikes 6 to 12" long. Calyx white-scarious, persistent, contracted above, en- 

 closing the utricle. JL, Aug. 



Order CYII. LATJRACEfo Laurels. 



Trees and shntbs aromatic, mostly with alternate, simple, punctata leaves. Flow~ 



ers with a colored perianth of 4 to G slightly united, strongly imbricated Bepsfls. 



Anthers 2 or 4-celled, opening upwards by as many recurved, lid-like valves. Ovary 



1-celled, 1-ovuled, free, in fruit a berry or a drupe. Seed without albumen. 



Genera 50, species 450, ehiefiy natives of the Tropics. 

 . Properties. — The species of this highly important order are throughout pervaded by a warns 

 and stimulant aromatic- oil. Cinnamon, is the dried bark of Cinnamomum Zt ylanieum, of Ceylon,. 

 Ac. Camphor is obtained from many trees of this order, but ehieliy Irani Campuma o-ffkinarum, 

 of Japan, China. &e. Cassia Bark, from Cinraamomnm aromaticum, of China. 1'ersea gratissima, 

 a tree of the W. Indies, yields a delicious fruit called the Avocado pear. Some of the following; 

 species are also moderately medicinal. The classic Laurel is Laurens nobilis of S. Europe. 



§ Flowers perfect, the calyx persistent. Leaves evergreen Peesea. £ 



§ Flowers declinous. Calyx deciduous. Leaves deciduous. {*) 



* Involucre none. Anthers 4-cclled, 4-valvcd. Lvs. lobed Sassafras, 2 



* Involucre 4-leaved. Anthers 2-celIed, 2-valved. Leaves entire Df.nzoin. S 



* Involucre 4-leavcd, Anthers 4-celled, 4-valved. Leaves entire Tr/m antuf.ua. 4 



1. PER'SEA, Gacrt. Red Bay. Bay Galls. Flowers perfect, um- 

 bellate, with no involucre ; calyx of 6 sepals persistent ia fruit; stamens 

 12, the 3. inner sterile, reduced to mere glands, anthers 4-celled (2 cells 

 above and 2 below) ; drupe oval, seated on the persistent calyx, con- 

 taining 1 large seed. — Trees evergreen, the lis. in axillary, pedicellate 

 umbels. 



P. Caroliniensis Mx. Lvs. oblong-lanceolate or oblaneeolato, acute or pointed 

 at each end, coriaceous, entire, glaucous beneath ; umbels simple or compound, 

 on long peduncles; sep. coriaceous, velvety, the 3 outer smaller; drupe oval, blue. 

 Va. to Fla. in swamps. A tree 30 or 40f high, with a deeply furrowed bark and 

 coarse branches; but more commonly in poor soils a stinted shrub tilling the sandy 

 Bwamp.s. Lvs. evergreen, about 6' by 18", attenuated to a short petiole. Drupe- 

 s'' by 4". Apr., May. — Wood of a fine rose-color, once used in cabinet-\vork. 



2. SAS SAFRAS, Necs. Sassafras. (Spanish, salsafras^ saxifrage ; 

 from the supposed resemblance of properties.) Dio&cious; involucre 0; 

 calyx 6-parted, equal, deciduous; $ stamens 9, in 3 rows, the inner 

 with a pair of stipitate glands at the base of each ; anther 4-celled ; 



£ stamens 6, imperfect ; ovary ovoid, acuminate ; style short, stigma 



capitate ; drupe ovoid, on a fleshy pedicel. — Trees deciduous, with the 



fls. yellow in terminal clusters appearing before the leaves. (Laurns, L.) 



'S. officinale Nees. Lvs of two forms, ovate and entire, or 3-lobed and cuueato 



at base ; fls. in terminal and axillary, corymbous racemes, with linear bracts. — U. 



