(LAUREL FAMILY.) 393 



ORDER 111. L-AURACE^. (LAUREL FAMILY.) 



Aromatic trees or shrubs (except Cassyta), with alternate simple mi- 

 nutely dotted leaves, without stipules, and perfect or polygamous clustered 

 flowers. Calyx 6 - 9-parted, imbricated in 2 rows. Stamens 6 or more, 

 in 1 - 4 rows : anthers adnate, 2 - 4-celled, opening by lid-like valves. 

 Ovary free, 1-celled, with a solitary anatropous suspended ovule. Style 

 simple, thick : stigma obtuse. Fruit a drupe or berry. Seed without 

 albumen. Embryo large. Radicle superior. 



Synopsis. 



TRIBE I. LATJRINEJE. Fruit naked- Trees or shrubs. 



* Flowers perfect. Stamens 12, the 3 inner ones sterile. 



1. PERSEA. Anthers 4-celled, 4-valved. Trees with evergreen leaves. 



* * Flowers dioecious. Stamens 9, all fertile. 



2. SASSAFRAS. Involucre none. Anthers 4-celled. 



3. BENZOIN. Involucre 4-leaved. Anthers 2-celled. 



4. TETRANTHERA. Involucre 2 -4-leaved. Anthers 4-celled. 



TRIBE II. CASSYTE-ffi. Fruit enclosed in the fleshy calyx. Leafless twining par- 

 asites. 

 5 CASSYTA. Flowers perfect. Stamens 9. Anthers 2-celled. 



1. PERSEA, Gaertn. RED-BAY. 



Flowers perfect. Calyx deeply 6-parted, persistent. Stamens 12, in 4 rows, 

 the inner ones sterile and gland-like. Filaments pubescent, the inner fertile 

 ones biglandular. Anthers 4-celled, those of the two outer rows introrse, of the 

 inner row extrorse. Stigma disk-like. Drupe ovoid. Trees or shrubs, with 

 evergreen entire petioled leaves, and greenish or white flowers, in axillary pe- 

 duncled clusters or panicles. 



1 . P. Carolinensis, Nees. Branchlets smoothish ; leaves oblong or lance- 

 olate-oblong, smooth and deep green above, glaucous beneath, obscurely veined ; 

 flowers silky, in cymose clusters, on peduncles shorter than the petioles ; calyx- 

 lobes unequal, persistent; drape blue. (Lauras Carolinensis, L.) Rich shady 

 woods, Florida to North Carolina. July. A tree 20- 40 high. Leaves 2'- 

 3' long. 



Var. palustris. Shrubby ; the branchlets, lower surface of the leaves, and 

 flowers densely tomentose ; leaves strongly veined, pale green, varying from 

 oval to lanceolate ; peduncles longer than the petioles. Ponds and pine-barren 

 swamps. July. Shrub 4 - 10 high. Leaves 3' - 6' long. Flowers larger 

 than the preceding form. 



2. P. Catesbyana. Smooth ; leaves lanceolate-oblong, acute or obtuse, 

 reticulate, shining, on short margined petioles ; flowers minute, in narrow axillary 

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

 within, the nearly equal lobes deciduous ; filaments very short, the innermost 



