CHA1>. XCIII. 



LAUKA'CE^E. Z-AU'RUS. 



1303 



the roots of old trees (at Syon, for example,) throw up in great abundance. 

 The situation where the tree is finally planted should be sheltered ; and, in the 

 north of England and in Scotland, to insure fine foliage, it should be planted 

 against a wall. 



Statistics. Laurus Sassafras in England. In the environs of London, the largest tree is at Syon, 

 where it is 40 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 1 ft 8 in., and of the head 29 ft. At Kew, it is 40 ft. 

 high. In the Fulham Nursery, it is 30ft. high. In the Mile End Nursery, it is 21 ft. high. South 

 of London, in the Isle of Jersey, in Saunders's Nursery, 14 years planted, it is 12 ft. high, the diameter 

 of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 9ft. In Kent, at Cobham Hall, 30 years planted, it is 50 ft. high, 

 and the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in. In Surrey, at St. Ann's Hill, 30 years planted, it is 22 ft. high, 

 the diameter of the trunk 1 ft. 2 in., and of the head 12 ft. North of London, in Worcestershire, at 

 Croome, 40 years planted, it is 25 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 9 in., and of the head 12 ft. 



L. Sassafras in Scotland. In the Isle of Bute, at Mount Stewart, it is 10 ft. high, the diameter of 

 the trunk 3 in., and of the head 5 ft. 



L. Sassafras in Ireland. In the environs of Dublin, at Castletown, it is 28 ft. high, the di- 

 ameter of the trunk 1 ft. 6 in. North of Dublin, in Galway, at Coole, it is 19 ft. high, the diameter 

 of the trunk 12 in., and of the head 22 ft. In Louth, at Oriel Temple, 12 years planted, it is 9 ft. high, 

 the diameter of head 5 ft. 



L. Sassafras" in Foreign Countries. In France, at Sceaux, 10 years planted, it is 15 ft. high, the 

 diameter of the trunk.8 in., and of the head 6 ft. In the neighbourhood of Nantes, 24 years planted, 

 it is 30 ft. high, with a trunk 2ft. in diameter. In the Botanical Garden at Avranches, 29 years 

 planted, it is 20 ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 12 ft. In Italy, in Lombardy, 

 at Monza, 12 years planted, it is 10ft. high, the diameter of the trunk 8 in., and of the head 5 ft. 



Commercial Statistics. Plants in the London nurseries, are 5s. each; and 

 seeds 6s. a quart; at Boll wy Her, plants are 2 francs and 30 cents each; and at 

 New York, 25 cents. 



a 6. L. BENZO^IN L. The Benzoin Laurel, or Benjamin Tree. 



Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff., 154. ; Gron. Virg., 46. ; Mill. Diet., No. 6. ; Willd. Arb., 165 : 



Willd. Sp. PI, 2. p. 485. ; Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836. 

 Synonymes. Arbor virginiana citreze vel limonii folio, Benzoinum fundens, Comm. Hort., 1. p. 189. 



t. 97. ; /.aiirus aestivalis Wang/t. Atner., 87. ; L. Pseudo- Benzoin Mich. Fl. Amer., 1. p. 243. ; L. 



Eiu'ismus Benzoin Nutt. Gen., 1. p. 259. ; Benzoin, sp. C. G. Nees. Von Esenbeck ; Spice Bush, Spice 



Wood, or wild Allspice, Anier., according to Nuttall ; Laurier faux Benzoin, Fr.; Benzoin Lorbeer, 



Ger. 

 Engravings. Comm. Hort, 1. t. 97. ; Pluk. Aim., t 139. f. 34 ; and our fig. 1171. 



Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves cuneate-obovate, entire, the under side whitish and 

 partly pubescent, deciduous. Sexes polygamous. Flowers in umbels. 

 Buds and pedicels of the umbels glabrous. (Nutt. Gen.,\. p. 259.) Leaves 

 without nerves, ovate, acute at both ends. 

 (Willd. Sp. PL, ii. p. 485.) A deciduous 

 shrub, a native of Virginia, where it grows 

 to the height of 10 ft. or 12 ft. It was in- 

 troduced in 1688, and is not unfrequent in 

 collections. In British gardens, it forms a 

 rather tender peat-earth shrub, handsome 

 from its large leaves, but seldom thriving, 

 except where the soil is kept moist and the 

 situation sheltered. The bark of L. Benzoin 

 is highly aromatic, stimulant, and tonic, 

 and is extensively used in North America 

 in intermittent fevers. The oil of the fruit 

 is said to be stimulant. (Lindl. Nat. Syst. 

 of Hot., on the information of Barton.) The 

 true Benjamin tree, or gum benzoin, is 

 not, as Ray supposed, this Z/aurus Benzoin, 

 but a species of Styrax ; as was first shown 

 by the late Mr. Dryander, in the Philoso- 

 phical Transactions for 1787, p. 307, t. 12. (Rees's Cyclop.) Z/aurus Benzoin 

 is propagated from imported seeds, which require to be treated like those 

 of Z/aurus Sassafras. 



Statistics. The largest plant, in the neighbourhood of London, is at Ham House, where it is 15 ft 

 high ; at Syon, it is 14 ft. high ; at Kew, 6 ft high ; in the Horticultural Society's Garden, 8 ft. high 

 In Sussex, at Westdean, 14 years planted, it is 12 ft. high. In Warwickshire, at Newnham Paddocks, 

 10 years planted, it is 5 ft. high. In Worcestershire, at Croome, 15 years planted, it is 15 ft high : at 

 Hagley, 12 years planted, it is 6 ft. high. In Ireland, at Oriel Temple, 12 years planted, it is 6ft. 

 high. In Germany, near Vienna, at Briick on the Leytha, 25 years planted, it is 15ft. high. At 

 Hrrlin, in the Botanic Garden, 14 years planted, it is 10ft. high. In Italy, at Monza. 24 vears 

 planted, it is 14ft. high. 



