822 LAUEACEAE 



Peduncles, pedicels and petioles glabrous or appressed-pubescent: fruit over 1 cm. thick. 

 Leaf-blades glabrous or nearly so, except sometimes the nerves beneath. 



Leaf-blades finely reticulated beneath, mainly over thrice as long as wide. 1. T. Borbonia. 

 Leaf-blades not reticulated beneath, mainly about twice as long as wide. 2. T. littoralis. 

 Leaf-blades lustrous-pubescent beneath. 3. T. humilis. 



Peduncles, pedicels and petioles tomentose: fruit less than 1 cm. thick. 4. T. pubescens. 



1 Tamala Borbonia (L.) Eaf. A large tree with bark broken into flat ridges: 

 leaf-blades elliptic or elliptic-oblong, 515 cm. long, often acuminate at both ends, 

 bright green and lustrous above, glaucescent and finely reticulated beneath: sepals 

 ascending, the inner ovate, 2-3 times longer than the outer, acutish: fruit obovoid or 



flobose-obovoid, 1-1.5 cm. long, dark blue or nearly black, lustrous. [Persea Bor- 

 onia (L.) Pax.] 



In swamps and along streams, in the coastal plain, Virginia to Florida and Texas. 

 RED BAY. SWEET BAY. FLORIDA MAHOGANY. TISSWOOD. LAUREL-TREE. 



2. Tamala littoralis Small. A shrub, or a tree: leaf -blades elliptic or oblong- 

 elliptic, 2-5.5 cm. long, mostly obtuse at the apex, bright green and lustrous above, 

 pale and glabrous beneath, not reticulated, the lateral veins inconspicuous: fruits 

 globular, 12-14 mm. long, purple-black under the bloom. [Persea littoralis Small.] 



On sand ridges, near or along the coast, peninsular Florida. SHORE BAY. 



3. Tamala humilis (Nash) Small. A small tree, the twigs, lower leaf -surfaces 

 and the inflorescence silky-pubescent : leaf -blades elliptic or oblong, 4-10 cm. long, more 

 or less revolute, glabrous and shining above, lustrous beneath: sepals erect, obtuse, 

 the inner oblong, 5 mm. long: fruits globular, about 1.5 cm. long, purplish black under 

 the bloom. [Persea humilis Nash.] 



In sandy places, peninsular Florida. SCRUB BAY. 



4. Tamala pubescens (Pursh) Small. A shrub or small tree, the twigs, lower 

 leaf -surf aces and inflorescence tomentose: leaf -blades narrowly elliptic or elliptic- 

 lanceolate or rarely oval, 5-20 cm. long, usually obtuse, often acuminate at the apex, 

 slightly revolute: sepals erect, acutish, the inner oblong-obovate, about twice as long 

 as the outer : fruits oval, 8-11 mm. long, dark blue with a thin bloom. [Persea pubes- 

 cens (Pursh.) Sarg.] 



In swamps and hammocks, North Carolina to Florida and Texas. SWAMP RED BAY. 

 SWAMP BAY. 



4. OCOTEA Aubl. 



Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, persistent : blades entire. Flowers in panicled 

 cymes. Sepals 6, nearly similar. Style cylindric: stigma capitate. Drupe somewhat 

 elongated. 



1. Ocotea Catesbyana (Michx.) Sarg. Shrub or small tree: leaf -blades nar- 

 rowly elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 5-12 cm. long, lustrous above : calyx creamy white, 

 8-9 mm. broad; sepals obtuse: drupes subglobose or oval, 10-15 mm. long, dark blue 

 or black, seated in the red or yellow hypanthium. 



In hammocks, peninsular Florida and the Keys. Also in the West Indies. Early 

 spring ; matures its fruit in the fall. LANCE- WOOD. 



5. SASSAFRAS Nees. 



Trees. Leaves alternate, deciduous: blades lobed or partially entire. Flowers in 

 axillary- peduncled raceme-like cymes. Style columnar: stigma depressed. Drupe 

 somewhat elongated. 



1. Sassafras Sassafras (L.) Karst. A large tree with ridged bark: leaf -blades 

 3-lobed or rarely entire or two-lobed: flowers greenish-yellow: sepals 6, narrowly 

 oblong, 2.5-3 mm. long: drupes oval, 8-10 mm. long, red or orange. 



In woods and fields, Maine to Ontario, Iowa, Nebraska, Florida and Texas. Spring ; 

 matures its fruit in the summer. SASSAFRAS. SASSAFRAX. AGUE TREE. 



6. MALAFOENNA Adans. 



Shrubs or trees. Leaves alternate, ours deciduous: blades entire. Flowers in 

 clustered umbel-like involucrate cymes. Style subulate. Drupe (ours) subglobose. 



