CHAP. xcin. /.AURA N CE;E. /,AU'KUS. 1297 



attached to its base. These last have been deemed imperfect stamens. 

 Anthers adnate ; of 2 cells in most of the species, of 4 unequal ones in the 

 others : each cell is closed by a vertical valve that opens clastic ally, and 

 often carries up the pollen in a mass. Fruit a carpel that i.s pulpy ex- 

 ternally and includes one seed. Cotyledons eccentrically peltate, or, in 

 other words, attached to the remainder of the embryo a little above their 

 base line; as, according to Brown, is the case in all Z/auraceae. Species 

 about 9. Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, deciduous, or persistent in 

 4 species, entire, orlobed. Flowers, of the kinds having deciduous leaves, 

 appearing before the leaves, in small conglomerate umbels; or, in L. Sassa- 

 fras L. and L. albida Xntt., in conglomerate bracteate racemes. (Nnttall 

 chiefly.) L. carolinensis Catesby is an evergreen species of the United 

 States. L. nobilis W. is an evergreen species of Italy. The latter has 

 fragrant leaves. Most of the American kinds have fragrant bark, and their 

 groups of flowers attended by the scales of the buds that had included 

 them. (Shns in Bot. Mag.) The genus Z/aurus L. has been divided, and 

 several genera formed out of it ; but all the hardy species are here retained 

 under the generic name of JLaurus. There are only three perfectly hardy 

 species, Z/aurus nobilis, L. Sassafras, and L. Benzoin, but there are several 

 that will live in the open air in mild climates, or with a little protection. 



A. Plants evergreen ; hardy. 

 * $ 1. L. XO'BILIS L. The noble Laurel, or Sweet Bay. 



Itlcnlfficatfon. Lin. Sp.,529. ; Hort. Cliff., 155. ; Mill. Diet., No. 1. ; Martyn's Mill., No. 9. ; Willd. 



Sp. PI., 2. pi 479. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836. 

 Synonutxe*. Laurus Camer., Tourn., Dodon., Kay; L vulgnris Rauh. Pta.,460. ; Lauricr coinmun, 



Laurier franc, Laurk-r d'Apollon, Lauricr sauce, /<>. ; gemeinc Lorbcer, Ger. 

 Engravings. Blackw. Herb., t. 17i. ; Flor. Gricc., t. 365.; and the plate in our last Volume. 



SJH-C. Char., dye. Evergreen. Flowers 4-cleft. Sexes dioecious. Leaves 

 lanceolate, veiny. A native of Italy and Greece. (Willd. Sp. PL, ii. p. 480.) 

 Varietiet. 



* L. n. 2 nndnldta Mill, is a low shrub, seldom growing higher than 



4 ft. or 6 ft., with leaves waved on the edges, which is stated in the 

 Nouveau Uu Hamel to be hardier than the species. 



L. n. 3 salicifolia Swt., L. n. angustifolia Lodd. Cat.,\s a shrub, rather 

 higher than the preceding variety, with long narrow leaves, not so 

 thick as those of the species, and of a lighter green. 



* L. n. 4 varicgdta Swt., L. n. fol. var. Lodd. Cat. Leaves variegated. 



* L. 72. 5 latifolia Mill, has the leaves much broader and smoother than 



those of the species. This is the broad-leaved bay of Asia, Spain, 

 and Italy, and it is generally considered as too tender for the open 

 air in England. 



* L. n. 6 crispa Lodd. Cat. has the leaves somewhat curled. 

 L. n. 1 fibre plena N. Du Ham. has double flowers. 



There are also occasionally variations, such as the stamens varying in 

 number, and the stamens being sometimes expanded flat. 



Description, $c. An evergreen tree, or rather enormous shrub, sometimes 

 growing to the height of 60 ft., but always displaying a tendency to throw up 

 suckers; and rarely, if ever, assuming a tree-like character. The leaves are 

 evergreen, and of a firm texture ; they have an agreeable smell, and an aromatic, 

 subacrid, slightly bitterish taste. The flowers are dioecious, or the male and 

 female on different trees, and are disposed in racemes shorter than the leaves. 

 The male tree is the most showy, from the greater proportion of yellow in the 

 flowers. The berry is ovate, fleshy, and of a very dark purple, approaching 

 to black. The sweet bay tree is a native of the south of Europe, and the 

 north of Africa, where its general height is about 30 ft. St. Pierre observes 

 that the wild bay trees on the banks of the river Peneus in Thessaly are remark- 

 ably fine, which might probably give rise to the fable of Daphne (supposing the 

 (mvk daphnr to be this tree) being a nymph, the daughter of that river, 



4<J 2 



