LADBACE^;. (LAUREL FAMILY.) 415 



I. N. Willdenoviana, Nees. Smooth; leaves lanceolate-oblong, retic- 

 ulate, shining, ou short margined petioles ; flowers minute in narrow axillary 

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

 within, the nearlv e<[ual lobes deciduous; filaments very short, the innermost 

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

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



3. SASSAFRAS, Nees. 



Involucre none. Flowers diueciously 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 the fertile flowers 6, sterile: anthers linear, 

 4-celled, 4-valved, introrse. Style subulate: stigma disk-like. Drupes 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.) Drv open woods and old fields. March. A small tree with 

 spicy bark. 



4. LLNDERA, Thunb. SPICE-BUSH. 



Involucre 4-leaved. Flowers dioaciously 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 g'andular 

 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. meliSSSefolia, Blume. Leaves oblong, 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 shrub 

 2 - 3 high. Leaves 1' - 2' long. 



5. LITSEA, Lam. 



Involucre 2 -4-leaved. Flowers dioecious. Calyx 6-parted, 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 vellow, appearing before the leaves; drupe red. (Laurus, 



