43^ FLORA. 



3 other series anther-bearing, their anthers 4-celled, 4-valved, those of the third 

 series extrorse and the others introrse in our species. Staminodia large, cordate, 

 stalked. Fruit a berry. [Ancient name of some oriental tree.] About 50 species, 

 natives of America. Besides the following another occurs in Fla. 



Twigs and petioles puberulent or nearly glabrous. i. P. Borbonia. 



Twigs and petioles densely tomentose. 2. /. pubescens, 



1. Persea Borbonia (L.) Spreng. RED BAY. ISABELLA-WOOD. (1. F. f. 1652.) 

 A tree, with dark red bark. Leaves lanceolate, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, bright 

 green above, paler beneath, glabrous when mature, 2-5 cm. wide, obscurely veined, 

 narrowed at the base; petioles 1-2.5 cm - l n gj peduncles short, axillary, often little 

 longer than the petioles, bearing lew-flowered panicles ; calyx puberulent, spread- 

 ing in fruit, its inner segments longer than the outer; berries dark blue,' about 12 

 mm. in diameter, their pedicels thick, red. Along streams and borders of swamps, 

 Del. (?), Va. to Fla., Tex. and Ark. April-June. Fruit ripe Aug. -Sept. 



2. Persea pubescens (Pursh) Sarg. SWAMP BAY. (I. F. f. 1653.) Bark 

 brown ; leaves oval, oblong or lanceolate, glabrous and shining above when mature, 

 pubescent beneath or also tomentose on the veins, strongly veined, 1-4 cm. wide; 

 petioles 0.8-1.6 cm. long ; peduncles tomentose, mostly longer than the petioles, 

 sometimes 5-8 cm. long; calyx tomentose, its inner segments longer than the outer; 

 berry dark blue, 12-18 mm. in diameter. In swamps and along streams, S. Va. 

 to Fla. and Miss. May -July. Fruit ripe Sept. 



2. SASSAFRAS Nees & Eberm. 



A rough-barked tree, with broad entire or 2-6-lobed 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 persist- 

 ent bud-scales. Calyx 6-parted, that of the pistillate flowers persistent, its seg- 

 ments 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 introrse, 4 valved. Pistillate flowers with about 6 staminodia and 

 an ovoid ovary. Fruit an oblong -globose blue drupe. [The popular Spanish name.] 

 A monotypic genus of eastern N. Am. 



i. Sassafras Sassafras (L.) Karst. SASSAFRAS OR AGUE TREE. (I. F. f. 

 1654.) A tree sometimes 40 m. high, the twigs and leaves mucilaginous, pubescent 

 when young but becoming glabrous. Leaves oval or often as wide as long, mem- 

 branous, pinnately veined, petioled; racemes several or numerous in the umbels, ped- 

 uncled ; flowers about 6 mm. broad; stamens about equalling the calyx-segments; 

 fruiting pedicels red, much thickened below the calyx; drupe nearly 1.2 cm. high. 

 In dry soil, Me. to Ont., Mich., Fla. and Tex. April-May. Fruit ripe July-Aug. 

 3. MALAPOENNA Adans. [TETRANTHERA Jacq.] 



Leaves entire, deciduous in our species. Flowers small, greenish or yellow, in 

 umbels or almost capitate, involucrate by the bud scales, axillary, or in the follow- 

 ing species unfolding before the leaves at the nodes of twigs of the previous season. 

 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 staminodia and a globose or oval ovary. Fruit a small drupe. 

 [Malabar name.] About 100 species, natives of tropical and warm regions of l)oth 

 the Old World and the New, only the following known in N Am. 



i. Malapoenna ge-iiculata (Walt.) Coulter. POND SPICE (I F. f. 1655 ) 

 A much-branched shrub, with terete smooth zigzag twigs. Leaves oblonp. firm, 

 1-5 cm. long, 6-13 mm. wide, narrowed at the base, glabrous 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 4 mm. 

 broad ; drupe globose, red, about 6 mm. in diameter. In swamps and wet soil, 

 S. Va. to Fla. March -April. 



4. BENZOIN Fabric. [LINDERA Thunb.] 



Leaves alternate, pinnately veined and in our species deciduous. Flowers 

 or polygamous, yellow, in lateral sessile involucr^te dusters unfolding 



