SASSAFRAS OFFICINALE, NEES. 107 



feet ; attaining a maximum in the southern and southwestern 

 states of 80-100 feet in height and a trunk diameter of 6-7 

 feet ; head open, flattish or rounded ; branches at varying 

 angles, stout, crooked, and irregular ; spray bushy ; marked in 

 winter by the contrasting reddish-brown of the trunk, the 

 bright yellowish-green of the shoots and the prominent flower- 

 buds, in early spring by the drooping racemes of yellow 

 flowers, in autumn by the rich yellow or red-tinted foliage and 

 handsome fruit, at all seasons by the aromatic odor and spicy 

 flavor of all parts of the tree, especially the bark of the root. 



Bark. Bark of trunk deep reddish-brown, deeply and 

 firmly ridged in old trees, in young trees greenish-gray, finely 

 and irregularly striate, the outer layer often curiously split- 

 ting, resembling a sort of filagree work ; branchlets reddish- 

 brown, marked with warts of russet brown ; season's shoots 

 at first minutely pubescent, in the fall more or less mottled, 

 bright yellowish-green. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Flower-buds conspicuous, ter- 

 minal, ovate to elliptical, the outer scales rather loose, more or 

 less pubescent, the inner glossy, pubescent ; lateral buds much 

 smaller. Leaves simple, alternate, often opposite, 3-5 inches 

 long, two-thirds as wide, downy-tomentose when young, at 

 maturity smooth, yellowish-green above, lighter beneath, with 

 midrib conspicuous and minutely hairy ; outline of two forms, 

 one oval to oblong, entire, usually rounded at the apex, wedge- 

 shaped at base ; the other oval to obovate, mitten-shaped or 

 3-lobed to about the center, with rounded sinuses ; apex obtuse 

 or rounded ; base wedge-shaped ; leafstalk about 1 inch long ; 

 stipules none. 



Inflorescence. April or early May. Appearing with the 

 leaves in slender, bracted, greenish-yellow, corymbous racemes, 

 from terminal buds of the preceding season, sterile and fertile 

 flowers on separate trees, sterile flowers with 9 stamens, 

 each of the three inner with two stalked orange-colored glands, 

 anthers 4-celled, ovary abortive or wanting : fertile flowers with 

 6 rudimentary stamens in one row ; ovary ovoid ; style short. 



Fruit. Generally scanty, drupes, ovoid, deep blue, with 

 club-shaped, bright red stalk. 



