260 ENNEANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. 



lobed, every where very smooth and thin, under side ob- 

 soletely veined, petiole long-er. (White Sassafras.) Hab 

 In North and South Cai^hna abundant, from the Cataw- 

 ba mountains to the east bank of the Santce; growing 

 with the common species, which is in North CaroHna less 

 abundant. I have not seen it in flower, therefore the 

 eomj-jarison is incomplete, but all the inhabitants distin- 

 guish them perfectly by the names of white and red Sas- 

 safras, this species is also sometimes denominated Smooth 

 Sassafras; the root is much more strong-ly camphorated 

 than the oi'dinary sort and nearly white; it is also better 

 calculated to answer as a substitute for Ochra (llibiscvs 

 esciilenius) than E. Sassajras, its buds and young bran- 

 ches being much more mucilaginous. 



The genus Ocotea of Aublet appears to be very nearly 

 related to the present, but the flowere are paniculatexl; 

 and the filaments of the anthers are described as broad 

 and truncate.f 



Order II.—TRIGYNIA, 



375. ERIOGONUM. Michaux, 



Calix subcyathiform, tubulous at the base^ 

 border 5-cleft, segments unequal, externally 

 villous. Corolla none. Seed 1, triquetrous, 

 without margins, covered by the calix. (Flow- 

 ers involucrate. Stipules none.) 



Herbaceous or sufTruticose plants, mostly stemless and 

 cespitose, with alternate leaves, more or less tomentosej 

 flowers involucrate; involucrum cup-shaped or campanu- 

 late, many-flowered (15 to 20;) flowers circularly articu- 

 lated to the peduncles, many of them deciduous. {E. to- 



f This is the Porostema of Schreber's genera, and apparent- 

 y fictitious, so far as it varys from the account of Aublet. It 

 is described as having a 6-parted calix; 9 filaments called nec- 

 taries, arranged in 2 series, 3 of them being internal and furnish- 

 ed with glands, each of these filaments is said to produce 4 

 pores (evidently the 4 polliniferous cells of L. Sassafras, and 

 L. geniculata) but monstrous to relate, there arises from all 

 these 36 pores, so many filaments supporting peltate anthers! 

 and instead of a drupe containing 1 seed, as described by the 

 accurate and celebrated Jussieu, we have to learn that it pro- 

 duces a capsule with several cells, ancl many seeds! 



