142 Bulletin of the University of Texas 



or whorled leaves. Flowers regular, usually in clusters. Fruit 

 a drupe. 



Leaves persistent, blades entire, leathery 1. Persea. 



Leaves deciduous, some of htme lobed 2. Sassafras. 



PERSEA Gaertner. The Red Bays. 



Aromatic trees with alternate, entire, evergreen leaves. 

 Flowers small in panicles. Fruit a subglobose drupe. 



Fruit oval or pear shaped, large .1. Persea. 



Fruit ovoid, small 2. Borbonia. 



1. Persea persea (L.) Cockrell. Alligator Pear. A me- 

 dium sized ornamental tree with thin gray bark and smooth 

 branches. Leaves oblong to oval, smooth, reticulated beneath, 

 margins entire. Flowers small, green in leafless clusters. Fruit 

 a rather large drupe. Native of Central America planted for 

 ornament in our range. 



2. Persea borbonia (L.) Sprengel. Red Bay. Sweet Bay. 

 A medium sized forest tree with thick brown, fissured bark 

 and smooth twigs. Leaves elliptic or elliptic-oblong, entire 

 margins, pointed at base and apex, smooth -and dark green 

 above, paler and hairy beneath. Flowers in clusters in the 

 axils of the leaves. Fruit globular, blue or black, lustrous. 



In moist soils Virginia to Florida, west to Texas and Arkan- 

 sas. 



The wood is bright red and is used in the manufacture of 

 small trays, mirror frames, canes, and cupboard shelves. 



SASSAFRAS Nees and Ebermeir. 



Sassafras sassafras (L.) Karsten. Sassafras. A medium 

 sized tree with thick, rough, prominently ridged, brown bark, 

 greenish brittle twigs and mucilaginous sap. Leaves entire or 

 2-3 lobed, smooth, becoming red or yellow in autumn. Flow- 

 ers yellow, imperfect, mostly dioecious. Fruit an oblong- 

 globose drupe. The bark of the root yields an aromatic stim- 

 ulant used in medicine. 



In dry soil, Maine to Ontario, Iowa, Nebraska, Florida and 

 Texas. 



The wood is deep brown, somewhat resembling ash in its 

 general characteristics. 



