113. PERSEA CA.ROLINENS18 SWAMP RED BAY. 39 



113. PERSEA CAROLINENSIS, NEES. VAR. PALUSTRIS, OH. f 

 SWAMP RED BAY. 



Ger., Rother Lorberbaum; Fr., Per sea de Carolina; Sp., Laurel Colorado. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. Leaves oblong to oblong-lanceolate, about equally 

 pointed at both ends, 4-6 in. in length, with short petioles |-f in. in length, with 

 coriaceous, entire, revolute margins and strong straight midrib, smooth, deep green 

 above, glaucous beneath; branchlets glabrous. Flowers small, in close, simple or 

 compound, long-pedunculate cymes, with short pedicels; calyx-lobes coriaceous, the 

 three outer smaller. Fruit, a blue drupe scarcely A in. in length, usually two or 

 three together, with red stem. 



VARIETAL, CHARACTERS. The variety palustris differs from the species, as de- 

 scribed above, in having the new growths, petioles, flower-clusters and under surface 

 of the leaves throughout and the veins above and below densely ferruginous tomen- 

 tose. Flowers are slightly larger and on longer peduncles. The variety is confined 

 to swampy localities, and not generally growing as large as the other. 



A small tree with irregular top, rarely over 60 ft. (18 m.) in hight, 

 and with trunk 12 or 16 in. (0.33 m.) in diameter, clothed in a reddish 

 brown bark furrowed into prominent and rather firm ridges. The juices 

 of leaves, inner bark, etc., are pleasantly aromatic. 



HABITAT. From North Carolina near the coast to Florida and west- 

 ward to Mississippi, on low swampy ground. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood heavy, hard, strong, close-grained, 

 compact, taking a smooth polish, containing many fine medullary rays 

 and ducts quite uniformly distributed; of an orange-brown color and 

 with buff-white sap-wood. Specific Gravity, 0,6396; Percentage of Ash, 

 0.37; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.6372; Coefficient of Elasticity, 

 84918; Modulus of Rupture, 820; Resistance to Longitudinal Pressure, 

 367; Resistance to Indentation, 192; Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 

 39.86. 



USES. When found large enough this timber is useful for interior 

 finishing, for furniture, shipbuilding, etc. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES are not known of this species. 



ORDER ULMACEJE : * ELM FAMILY. 



Leaves simple, alternate; stipules caducous. Flowers perfect or polygamous by 

 abortion, apetalous, in loose clusters, not catkins; calyx somewhat bell-shaped, free 

 from the ovary; stamens springing from the calyx, usually as many as its lobes and 

 opposite them; filaments straight, ovary 1-2-celled with a single suspended ovule in 

 each cell; styles or stigmas two. Fruit, a samara or drupe with suspended seed; no 

 albumen. 



Represented by trees, rarely shrnbs. 



GENUS PLANERA, GMELIN. 



Leaves very much like those of the Elm but smaller. Flowers monoecio-polyga- 

 mous, inconspicuous, appearing before the leaves in small auxiliary clusters; calyx 



* Ranked by some authors as a sub-order of the order Urticacece. 

 ^ Persea palustris, 8arg. 



