25. Family LAURACE^E. (Laurel Fam.) 

 Genus LINDERA, Thumb. (Spice-Bush.) 



From the name of a Swedish botanist. 



Fig. 89. Spice-Bush. Fever-Bush. Benjamin-Bush. Wild 

 Allspice. L. Benzbin, Blume. 



Flowers, yellow, small, in almost stemless, lateral clusters, 

 each cluster made up of several minor clusters of 

 four to six flowers, with four early-falling scales at 

 their base, appearing before the leaves. Corolla, 

 lacking. Calyx, six-parted, the blossoms generally 

 of two forms on different plants ; the staminate with 

 nine stamens in three rows, the inner lobed and with 

 glands at their base ; the pistillate with fifteen to 

 eighteen undeveloped stamens in two forms. Style, 

 one. Seed-case, round and not adherent to the 

 calyx. March, April. 



Leaves, two to four inches long, simple, alternate, entire, 

 wedge-shape to reverse egg-shape and oval, nearly 

 smooth. 



Fruit, red, reverse egg-shape, one-celled, one-seeded ; a 

 drupe. 



Found, from Ontario and New England southward in 

 damp woods. 



An aromatic shrub six to fifteen feet high. The 

 powdered berries have sometimes been used as a substitute 

 for allspice, and the leaves for tea. 



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