620 ORDER 107. LAURACELE. , 



9. FRELICH'IA, Mcench. (Named for J. A. Frolick, a German 

 botanist.) Flowers perfect, 3-bracted ; calyx tubular, 5-cleft at apex ; 

 stamens 5, connate into a tube, appendaged with as many sterile fila- 

 ments ; anthers 1-celled ; stigma capitate or tufted ; utricle valvelcss, 

 1 -seeded, enclosed in the hardened calyx \vhich bears 2 or 5 longitu- 

 dinal crests. (J) Herbs with jointed, villous stems, opposite Ivs. and 

 spicate fls. 



F. Floridana Moq. Nearly simple, strictly erect, arachnoid pubescent; Ivs. lin- 

 ear, tapering to the base, obtusish at apex; Us. imbricated, in short, dense, clus- 

 tered, cottony spikes. On sandy river banks, 111., also Fla., Ga. to La. Plant 1 

 to 3f high, with a terminal, virgate panicle 6 to 10' long. Lvs. 1 to 2' by 3 to 5". 

 Spikes 6 to 12" long. Calyx white-scarious, persistent, contracted above, en- 

 closing the utricle. Jl., Aug. 



ORDER CVII. LAURACELE. LAURELS. 



Trees and shrubs aromatic, mostly with alternate, simple, punctate leaves. Flow- 

 ers with a colored perianth of 4 to 6 slightly united, strongly imbricated sepals. 

 Anthers 2 or 4-celled, opening upwards by as many recurved, lid-like valves. Ovary 

 1-celled, 1-ovuled, free, in fruit a berry or a drupe. Seed without albumen. 



Genera 50, species 450, chiefly natives of the Tropics. 



Properties. The species of this highly important order are throughout pervaded by a warm 

 and stimulant aromatic oil. Cinnamon is the dried bark of CinnamoinumZeylanicum, of Ceylon, 

 &c. Camphor is obtained from many trees of this order, but chiefly from Camphora officinarum, 

 of Japan, China, &c. Cassia Bark, from Cinnamomum aroinaticum, of China. Persea gratissimn, 

 a tree of the W. Indies, yields a delicious fruit called the Avocado pear. Some of the following 

 species are also moderately medicinal. The classic Laurel is Laurens nobilis of S. Europe. 



GENERA. 



Flowers perfect, the calyx persistent. Leaves evergreen PKKSEA. 1 



Flowers declinous. Calyx deciduous. Leaves deciduous. (*) 



* Involucre none. Anthers 4-celled, 4-val vod. Lvs. lobed S ASSAFIJAS. 2 



* Involucre 4-leaved. Anthers 2-celled, 2-valved. Leaves entire BENZOIX. '> 



* Involucre 4-leaved. Anthers 4-celled, 4-valved. Leaves entire TETRANTUEUA. 4 



1. PER'SEA, Gaert. BED BAY. BAY GALLS. Flowers perfect, um- 

 bellate, with no involucre ; calyx of 6 sepals persistent in fruit ; stamens 

 12, the 3 inner sterile, reduced to mere glands, anthers 4-celled (2 cells 

 above and 2 below) ; drupe oval, seated on the persistent calyx, con- 

 taining 1 large seed. Trees evergreen, the fls. in axillary, pedicellate 

 umbels. 



P. Caroliniensis MX. Lvs. oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, acute or pointed 

 at each end, coriaceous, entire, glaucous beneath ; umbels simple or compound, 

 on long peduncles; sep. coriaceous, velvejty, the 3 outer smaller; drupe oval, blue. 

 Ya. to Fla. in swamps. A tree 30 or 40f high, with a deeply furrowed bark and 

 coarse branches ; but more commonly in poor soils a stinted shrub filling the sandy 

 swamps. Lvs. evergreen, about 6' by 18", attenuated to a short petiole. Drupe 

 5" by 4". Apr., May. Wood of a fine rose-color, once used in cabinet-work. 



2. SAS'SAFRAS, Nees. SASSAFRAS. (Spanish, salsafras, saxifrage ; 

 from the supposed resemblance of properties.) Dioecious ; involucre ; 

 calyx 6-parted, equal, deciduous; $ stamens 9, in 3 rows, the inner 

 with a pair of stipitate glands at the base of each; anther 4-celled; 



$ stamens 6, imperfect ; ovary ovoid, acuminate-; style short, stigma 



capitate ; drupe ovoid, on a fleshy pedicel. Trees deciduous, with the 



fls. yellow in terminal clusters appearing before the leaves. (Laurus, L.) 



S. officinale Nees. Lvs. of two forms, ovate and entire, or 3-lobed and cuneate 



at base ; fls. hi terminal and axillary, corymbous racemes, with linear bracts. U. 



