CHAPTER XXXII: THE LAURELS AND THE 



SASSAFRAS 



Family Laurace/^ 



Aromatic trees with handsome wood. Leaves simple 

 alternate, punctate, entire. Flowers small, unconspicuous, yel- 

 lowish green, clustered. Fruit, a i -seeded berry. 



KEY TO GENERA AND SPECIES 



A. Leaves evergreen, entire. 



B. Calyx lobes persistent on the fruit. 



1. Genus PERSEA, Linn. 



C. Flower stalks short, smooth; bark red. 



{P. Borhonia) red bay 

 CC. Flower stalks long, pubescent; bark dull brown. 



{P. puhescens) swamp bay 

 BB. Calyx lobes not presistent on the fruit. 



C. Flowers in long-stemmed, sub-terminal panicles; 

 berry small, blue-black. 



2. Genus OCOTEA, Aubl. 



{0. Caieshyana) lancewood 

 CC. Flowers in short-stemmed axillary umbels; berry 

 large, yellow-green. 



3. Genus UMBELLARIA, Nutt. 



{U. Caltfornica) California laurel 

 AA. Leaves deciduous, entire or 2-3 lobed. 



4. Genus SASSAFRAS, Nees. 



(S. Sassafras) sassafras 



The laurel family has forty genera, most of them tropical. 

 Of the six North American genera, four are arbourescent. Three 

 of these have broad evergreen leaves; the fourth is deciduous. 

 All have i -seeded berries, following inconspicuous, yellowish- 

 green flowers. Three of these genera are monotypic; one has two 



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