LAURACE^E. (LAUREL FAMILY.) 379 



duced to a sort of glands : the rest bearing 4-celled anthers (i. e. each of the two 

 proper cells is divided transversely into two), opening by as many uplifted 

 valves ; the anthers of 3 stamens turned outward, the others introrse. — Trees, 

 with persistent entire leaves and small panicled flowers. (An ancient name of 

 some Oriental tree.) 



1. P. CaroiinensiS, Nees. (Red Bat.) Hoary at least when young 

 with a fine down ; leaves oblong, pale, soon becoming smooth above ; peduncle 

 bearing few flowers in a close cluster ; sepals downy, the outer shorter ; berries 

 dark blue, on a red stalk. (Laurus Carolinensis, Catesb. L. Borbonia, L.) — 

 Swamps, Delaware, Virginia, and southward. May. — A small tree. 



2. SASSAFRAS, Nees. Sassafras. 



Flowers dioecious, with a 6-parted spreading calyx ; the sterile kind with 9 

 stamens inserted on the base of the calyx in 3 rows, the 3 inner with a pair of 

 stalked glands at the base of each ; anthers 4-cellcd, 4-valved : fertile flowers 

 with 6 short rudiments of stamens and an ovoid ovary. Drape ovoid (blue), 

 supported on a club-shaped and rather fleshy (reddish) pedicel. — Trees, with 

 spicy-aromatic bark, very mucilaginous twigs and foliage ; the latter decidu- 

 ous, often lobed. Flowers greenish-yellow, naked, in clustered and peduncled 

 corymbed racemes, appearing with the leaves. Buds scaly. (The popular name, 

 of Spanish origin.) 



1. S. officinale, Nees. Leaves ovate, entire, or some of them 3-lobed, 

 60on glabrous. (Laurus Sassafras, L.) — Rich woods; common, especially 

 eastward. April. — Tree 15° -50° high, with yellowish-green twigs. 



3. BENZOIN, Nees. Wild Allspice. Fever-bush. 



Flowers polygamous-dioecious, with a 6-parted open calyx ; the sterile kind 

 with 9 stamens in 3 rows, the inner ones 1 - 2-lobcd and gland-bearing at the 

 base; anthers 2-celled and 2-valved : fertile flowers with 15-18 rudiments of 

 stamens in 2 forms, and a globular ovary. Drupe obovoid, red, the stalk not 

 thickened. — Shrubs, with entire deciduous leaves, and honcy-ycllow-flowers in 

 almost sessile lateral umbel-like clusters appearing before the leaves ; the clus- 

 ters composed of smaller clusters or umbels, each of 4 - 6 flowers and surround- 

 ed by an involucre of 4 deciduous scales. (Named from the aroma, wluch has 

 been likened to that of benzoin.) 



1. 15. odoi'Hfertim, Nees. (Spice-bush. Benjamin-bush.) Nearly 

 smooth; leaves oblong-obovate, pale underneath. (Laurus Benzoin, L.) — Damp 

 woods ; rather common. March, April. 



2. B. melissa3fdliuill, Nees. Young branches and buds pubescent; 

 leaves oblong, obtuse or heart-shaped at the base, downy beneath ; umbels few. 

 (Laurus mclissajfolia, Walt. L. diospyroides, Michx. ) — Low grounds, Vir 

 ginia and southward. April. 



4. TETBANTHERA, Jacq. Tetranthera. 



Flowers dioecious, with a 6-parted deciduous calyx ; the sterile ones with 9 

 stamens in 3 rows ; the anthers all introrse, 4-celled, 4-valvcd : fertile flowers 



