CHAP. XCIII. LAURA‘CEX. LAU’RUS. 1303 
the roots of old trees (at Syon, for example,) throw up in great abundance. 
The situation where the tree is finally planted should be sheltered ; and, in the 
north of England and in Scotland, to insure fine foliage, it should be planted 
against a wall. 
Statistics. Latrus Sassafras in England. In the environs of London, the largest tree is at Syon, 
where it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 8in., and of the head 29 ft. At Kew, it is 40 ft. 
high. Inthe Fulham Nursery, it is 30 ft. high. In the Mile End Nursery, it is 21ft. high. South 
of London, in the Isle of Jersey, in Saunders’s Nursery, 14 years planted, it is 12 ft. high, the diameter 
of the trunk 9in., and of the head 9ft. In Kent, at Cobham Hall, 30 years planted, it is 50 ft. high, 
and the diameter ofthe trunk 1 ft. 6in. In Surrey, at St. Ann’s Hill, 30 years planted, it is 22 ft. high, 
the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 2in., and of the head 12ft. North of London, in Worcestershire, at 
Croome, 40) years planted, it is 25 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 12 ft. 
L. Sassafras in Scotland. In the Isle of Bute, at Mount Stewart, it is 10 ft. high, the diameter of 
the trunk 3 in., and of the head 5 ft. 
L. Sassafras in Ireland. In the environs of Dublin, at Castletown, it is 28 ft. high, the di- 
ameter of the trunk 1ft.6in. North of Dublin, in Galway, at Coole, it is 19 ft. high, the diameter 
of the trunk 12in., and of the head 22 ft. In Louth, at Oriel Temple, 12 years planted, it is 9 ft. high, 
the diameter of head 5 ft. 
L. Sassafras in Foreign Countries. In France, at Sceaux, 16 years planted, it is 15 ft. high, the 
diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 6 ft. In the neighbourhood of Nantes, 24 years planted, 
it is 30 ft. high, with a trunk 2ft. in diameter. In the Botanical Garden at Avranches, 29 years 
planted, it is 20 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 12ft. In Italy, in Lombardy, 
at Monza, 12 years planted, it is 10 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8in., and of the head 5 ft. 
Commercial Statistics. Plants in the London nurseries, are 5s. each; and 
seeds 6s. a quart; at Bollwyller, plants are 2 francs and 30 cents each; and at 
New York, 25 cents. 
& 6. L. Benzo‘1n L. The Benzoin Laurel, or Benjamin Tree. 
Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff., 154.; Gron. Virg., 46.; Mill. Dict., No.6.; Willd. Arb., 165, ; 
Willd. Sp. Pl. 2. p. 485. ; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. , 
Synonymes. Arbor virginiana citrez vel limonii folio, Benzoinum fundens, Comm. Hort., 1. p. 189. 
t. 97.; Latrus estivalis Wangh. Amer., 87.; L. Pseddo- Benzdin Mich. Fl. Amer., 1. p. 243.; L. 
Eudésmus Benxdin Nutt. Gen., 1. p. 259. ; Benxdin, sp. C. G. Nees Von Esenbeck ; Spice Bush, Spice 
Wood, or wild Allspice, Amer., according to Nuttall; Laurier faux Benzoin, F’r.; Benzoin Lorbeer, 
Ger. 
Engravings. Comm. Hort., 1. t..97.; Pluk. Alm., t. 139. f. 34.; and our fig. 1171. 
Spec. Char., §c. Leaves cuneate-obovate, entire, the under side whitish and 
' partly pubescent, deciduous. Sexes polygamous. Flowers in umbels. 
Buds and pedicels of the umbels glabrous. (Nutt. Gen.,i. p. 259.) Leaves 
without nerves, ovate, acute at both ends. 
(Willd. Sp. Pl., ii. p. 485.) A deciduous 
shrub, a native of Virginia, where it grows 
to the height of 10 ft. or 12 ft. It was in- 
troduced in 1688, and is not unfrequent in 
collections. In British gardens, it forms a 
rather tender peat-earth shrub, handsome 
from its large leaves, but seldom thriving, 
except where the soil is kept moist and the 
situation sheltered. The bark of L. Benzoin 
is highly aromatic, stimulant, and tonic, {/, 
and is extensively used in North America \j 
in intermittent fevers. The oil of the fruit 
is said to be stimulant. (Lindl. Nat, Syst. 
of Bot., on the information of Barton.) The 
true Benjamin tree, or gum benzoin, is 
not, as Ray supposed, this Latrus Benzoin, 
but a species of Styrax ; as was first shown 
by the late Mr. Dryander, in the Philoso- 
phical Transactions tor 1787, p. 307, t. 12. (Rees’s Cyclop.) Latrus Benzoin 
is propagated from imported seeds, which require to be treated like those 
of Laurus Séssafras. 
Statistics. The largest plant, in the neighbourhood of London, is at Ham House, where it is 15 ft. 
high ; at Syon, it is 14 ft. high; at Kew, 6 ft high; in the Horticultural Society’s Garden, 8 ft. high. 
In Sussex, at Westdean, 14 years planted, it is 12 ft. high. In Warwickshire, at Newnham Paddoc 
10 years planted, it is 5 ft. high. . In Worcestershire, at Croome, 15 years planted, it is 15 ft. high ; at 
Hagley, 12 years planted, it is 6ft. high. In Ireland, at Oriel Temple, 12 years planted, it is 6 ft. 
high. In Germany, near Vienna, at Briick on the Leytha, 25 years planted, it is 15ft. high. At 
Berlin, in’ the Botanic Garden, 14 years planted, it is 10 ft. high. In Italy, at Monza, 24 years 
planted, it is 14 ft. high. 
