LAUKEL FAMILY. 375 



XCIX. LAURACE^, LAUREL FAMILY. 



Spicy-avomatic trees or shrubs, the alternate simple leaves 

 (with entire margins but sometimes lobetl) more or less marked 

 Avith minute pellucid dots ; the regular flowers with a calyx of 

 4 or 6 colored sepals imbricated in two ranks in the bud, and 

 free from the ovary; the latter is terminated by a simple 

 style and stigma, is 1-celled with a hanging ovule, and in fruit 

 becomes a berry or drupe. The stamens furnish a sjiecial 

 character, their anthers opening by uplifted valves. To this 

 family belong the classical Laurel or Bay, the Cinnamon, the 

 Camphor tree, etc. 



» Flowei-s perfect, in nxiUary panicles. 



1. PEKSEA. Calyx 6-parted, persistent at the b.ise of the beny. Stamens 12 with anthers, 



the 3 outer of which are turned outwards, 6 others Inward, the remainder being 3 

 glands or sterile filaments forming an innermost row. The two proper cells of the 

 anther, with a lower and an upper chamber, make 4 compartments, each opening by 

 a valve in the manner of a trap-door. 



* * Floioers ivholly or nearly dioscious, greenish yelloiu ; leaves deciduous. 

 -i- Anthers 4-ceUed and i-valved. 



2. SASSAFRAS. Flowers in an open corymbed and peduncled cluster, with spreading 6- 



parted calyx ; sterile ones with 9 stamens in 3 rows, the filaments of the three inner 

 with a pair of yellow stalked glands on their base. Fertile flowers with 6 rudiments 

 of stamens and an ovoid ovary, becoming a drupe. 



8. LITSEA. Flowers in small lateral clustered umbels, with 6-parted deciduous calyx; 

 sterile ones with 9 similar stamens ; anthers turned inwards. Fertile flowers with 

 a globular ovary, surrounded by numerous rudiments of stamens, and becoming a 

 globular drupe or berry. 



-f- -i- Anthers 1-celled and -l-r aired. 



4. LINDERA. Flowers in sessile lateral clusters, with a. 6-parted honey -yellow calyx ; 

 sterile ones with 9 stamens ; the inner 3 filaments lobed and glandular at base. Fer- 

 tile flowers with a globular ovary, surrounded by numerous rudiments of stamens, 

 lii iry red, oval ; the st^ilk not thickened. 



1. PERSEA, RED BAY. (Ancient name of some Oriental tree.) 

 Leave.s evergreen ; flowers greenish-white, in summer. The Ai.i.ui.vTOR 

 Pkak or Avoc.vDO of the tropics is P. (;R.\TfssiMA. 



P. Carolin^nsis, Nees. Caromn.\ Red Bay. Tree or large shrub, in 

 low grounds, from Del., S.; hoary when young, the oblong leaves soon 

 smooth above ; berries blue on a red stalk. 



2. SASSAFRAS. (The popular name of this very well-known tree.) 

 S. officinille. Nees. Sassafras. A fine tree, Avith mucilaginous yel- 

 lowish twigs and foliage, spicy bark, flowers appearing in spring with the 

 leaves ; these ovate and obovate, and some of them .'deleft, smooth when 

 old ; fruit blue on a club-shaped, rather fleshy stalk. fSandy or sterile 

 land, Mass., \V. and S. 



3. LITSEA. (C^hinose name.) 



L. genicul4ta, Benth. & Hook. Pond Spice. Along ponds in pine 

 barrens from Va., S.; large shrub, soon smooth, with forking and diver- 



