VOL. II.] 



LAUREL FAMILY. 



97 



2. SASSAFRAS Nees & Eberm. Handb. Med. Pharm. Bot. 2: 418. 1831. 



A rough-barked tree, with broad entire or i-3-lobed deciduous leaves, and yellow dioe- 

 cious flowers in involucrate umbelled racemes at the ends of twigs of the preceding season, 

 unfolding with or before the leaves, the involucre composed of the persistent bud-scales. 

 Calyx 6-parted, that of the pistillate flowers persistent, its segments equal. Staminate 

 flowers with 3 series of 3 stamens, the 2 outer series with glandless filaments, those of the 

 inner series with a pair of stalked glands at the base. Anthers all 4-celled and introrse, 4- 

 valved. Pistillate flowers with about 6 stamiuodia and an ovoid ovary. Fruit an oblong- 

 globose blue drupe. [The popular Spanish name.] 



A monotypic genus of eastern North America. 



j. Sassafras Sassafras (I,.) Karst. Sassafras or Ague Tree. (Fig. 1654.) 



Laurus Sassafras L. Sp. PI. 371. 1753. 

 Sassafras officinale Nees & Eberm. Handb. Med. 



Pharm. Bot. 2: 418. 1831. 

 Sassafras Sassafras Karst. Deutsch. Fl. 505. 1880-83. 



A tree sometimes 125 high, the trunk 7 in 

 maximum diameter; the bark very rough in ir- 

 regular ridges, aromatic, the twigs and leaves 

 mucilaginous, pubescent when young but be- 

 coming glabrous. Leaves oval and entire or 

 mitten -shaped, or 3-lobed to about the middle 

 and often as wide as long, membranous, pin- 

 nately veined, petioled; petioles i' long or less; 

 racemes several or numerous in the umbels, pe- 

 duncled; flowers about $" broad; stamens about 

 equalling the calyx-segments; fruiting pedicels 

 red, much thickened below the calyx; drupe 

 nearly %' high. 



In dry or sandy soil, Massachusetts to Ontario, 

 Michigan, Florida and Texas. Root largely used 

 for the aromatic oil. Wood soft, weak, durable, 

 brittle; color dull orange; weight 31 Ibs. per cubic 

 foot. Ascends to 3500 ft. in Virginia. April-May. 

 Fruit ripe July-Aug. 



3. MALAPOENNA Adans. Fam. PI. 2: 447. 1763. 



[TETRANTHERA Jacq. Hort. Schoen. i: 59. pi. f/j. 1797.] 



Trees or shrubs, with entire leaves, deciduous in our species, and small greenish or yel- 

 low flowers in small umbels or almost capitate, involucrate by the bud-scales, axillary, or in 

 the following species unfolding before the leaves at the nodes of twigs of the previous sea- 

 son. Calyx 6-parted, deciduous. Staminate flowers much as in Sassafras, bearing 3 series of 

 3 stamens, their anthers all 4-celled, 4-valved and introrse. Pistillate flowers with 9 or 12 stam- 

 inodia and a globose or oval ovary. Fruit a small globose or oblong drupe. [Malabar name.] 



About loo species, natives of tropical and warm regions of both the Old World and the New, 

 only the following known in North America. 



i. Malapoenna geniculata (Walt.) Coulter. 

 Pond Spice. (Fig. 1655.) 



Laurus geniculata Walt. Fl. Car. 133. 1788. 



Tetranthera geniculata Nees, Syst. 567. 1836. 



Litsea geniculata Mez, Jahrb. Bot. Gart. Berlin, 5: 476. 



1889. 

 Malapoenna geniculaia Coulter, Mem. Torr. Club, 5: 164. 



1894. 



A much-branched shrub, with terete smooth zigzag 

 spreading twigs. Leaves oblong, firm, yi'-i' long, 

 }^ f -Yz' wide, acute or rounded at the apex, narrowed 

 at the base, glabrous and rather dark green above, 

 paler and puberulent, at least on the veins, beneath, 

 or quite glabrous when mature; umbels 2-4-flowered, 

 sessile; involucres of 2-4 scales ; flowers yellow, less 

 than 2" broad; drupe globose, red, about 3" in 

 diameter. 



In swamps and wet soil, southern Virginia to Florida. 

 March-April. 



