ORDER ciir. — LACRACEtE. 491 



long, acute, undulate, atten\iatc at the base. Flowers in crowded wliorls, 

 pedicellate. Leaves of the |frianth largi-, cordate, entire, henrint? {,'r;iins. 

 — If. May — June. Introduced. 1 — 2 feet. Curled Dock. 



6. R. PERsicARioi'PES, (Pursh.) Stem erect, much branolied, smooili, 

 often colored. Leaves on short petioles, lanceolate, undulate, entire. 

 Flowers in whorls. Leaves of the perianth with 3 long teeth on each 

 side, each leaf bearing a grain. — 2f . July. "Wet shady places. 6 — 12 

 inches. Golden Dock. R. maritwius. 



7. R. divarica'tus, (L.) Stem erect. Leaves cordate, oblong, pubes 

 cent, undulate. Floivers in whorls, forming a long, slender spike. 

 Leaves of the perianth 4 or 6 toothed at the base. — 2f . June — Aug. 

 Marshes. 1 — 2 feet, 



8. R. acetosel'la, (L.) Flowers dioecious. Stem erect, furrowed. 

 Leaves laneeolate, entire, hastate, on rather long petioles, not auricled. 

 Flowers in fasciculate racemes. — If. April — June. Dry sandy soil?. 

 Very common. 1 — 2 feet. Sorrel. 



9 R. hastat'ulus, (Bald.) Flowers dioecious. Stem erect. Leaves 

 petiolate, oblong, hastate, with obtuse entire auricles. Perianth per- 

 sistent, becoming red by age. — 2f. April. Poor dry soils. 1 — 3 feet. 



Order CIIL— LAURA'CEJE. (Laurel Famibj.) 



Flowers perfect, polygamous and dioecious. Perianth 4 — 6- 

 cleft. Stamens perigynous, usually 9, the 3 inner ones sterile. 

 Anthers adnate, 2 — 4 celled, with thick connectivura. Ocary 

 superior, single. Style simple, obtuse. Fruit a one-seeded 

 drupe. Shrubs or small trees, with alternate leaves. 



Genus L— LAU'RUS. Pliny, 9—1. 

 (From the Celtic laur, green.) 



Genus the same as the Order. 



1. L. Carolinen'sis, (Mich.) A large shrub, or small tree. Leaves 

 oval-lanceolate, coriaceous, perennial, glaucous b<neaih, entire, rigid. 

 Flowers in email clusters, polygamous, pale yellow ; exterior segments 

 of the perianth half as long as the interior. — ^ . May — June. Swamps. 

 4—30 feet. ^ay ^'«'''»- 



2. L. Catesbeva'na, (Mich.) A middle-sized shrub. Leaves peren- 

 nial, bioad-lanceolate, glabi-ou.^. Flowers in panicles, on ^hort pedun- 

 cles ; segments of the perianth oblong, obtuse, deciduous, white. Nec- 

 tary 3 cleft. Berry ovate, black — ': . May — June. On the sea-coast 

 G— 9 feet. 



3. L. BENZo'iN, (L.) A shrub with virgate branches. Leaves ohoyate, 

 lanceolate, deciduous, pubescent beneath, cuneate at the base. Flowers 

 dioecious, in clustered umbel.^ on short pedicels, pale yellow. Frni: 

 red. — Feb. — March. Margins of rivulets. 4 — 10 feet. 



Spue-wood. Fever-bush. Benzoin odori/crum, Noes. 



4. L. genicl'la'ta, (Walt.) A small tree, much branche.l. with the 

 branches regularly bent. Leaves small, oval, glabrous, obtuse, rlow- 



