Cla&s IX.— EN^EANDRIA 



Order I.— MONOGYNIA. 



ST4. LAURUS. L, (Spicevvood, Sassafras, kc). 

 CalLv mostly 6-parted. JS^cctarium consist- 

 ing of 3, bisctose glands, surrounding the germ. 

 Filaments 12, 6 interior, 3 of them sterile and 

 gland ulifiM-ous. Berry 1 -seeded. (Stamina va- 

 riable in number. Flowers often dioicous.) 



Small trees or shrubs with entire, and seraperviienl 

 leaves, in some species partly opposite and longitudinal- 

 ly nerved; flowers paniculate or racemose axillary and 

 terminal, (a few species have solitary flowers, but are not 

 jjrobably of this genus.) 



Species. 1. L. Catesbcci. 2- caroHnerisis. Flowerinj^ iji 

 July. 1 have met with this plant as far to the north as 

 'Che Great Cypress Swamp, in Sussex country, Delaware,, 

 but very rare. The whole plant is aromatic and spicy. 



This extensive genus which afToids the Cinnamoii, the 

 Cassia, and the Camphor of commerce, is with the above 

 exceptions, 5 species in Japan and 1 in Europe {L.nobills)^ 

 entirel)' tropical; India affords 3 of the most important 

 species, long celebrated as spices; in the Canary islands 

 there are 2, the tropical regions of America afford no 

 less than 21, amongst the most remarkable of which is- 

 L. canstica of Chili, being poisonous, and the L. Persea, . 

 called avocado, and alligator-pear, producing a large and 

 very grat^etul fruit formed like a pear. 



The deciduous leaved species of tiie United States ap- 

 pear to constitute a subgenus, which I propose as follows; . 



* EuosMus.f Flowers polygamous or dioicous — Ca- 

 lix 6-paited. JVectanum none. Stamina 9, fertile; 6 ex- 

 terior, naked, the 3 interior augmented by 6 infertile 

 short stamina, attached by pairs; anthers of the sterile 

 stamina glanduloid. Berry 1-seeded. 



Trees or shrubs with alternate deciduous leaves, en- 

 tire or lobed; flowers appearing before the leaves in small 



f From iuo^y.oCf odorous. 



