478 CXII. LAURACE^E. SASSAFRAS. 



Pr. baccate or dry. Seeds solitary, ascending. 

 Embryo cylindric, curved around fleshy albumen. 



Genera 9, species 60, chiefly natives of the tropics. Phytolacca decandria possesses active properties, 

 but they appear to be yet little understood and of doubtful application. 



PHYTOLACCA. Tourn. 



Gr. <f>VTOv, a plant, Lat. lacca, lac; from the purple juice of the berries. 



Calyx 5-sepaled, resembling a corolla; stamens 7 20; styles 

 5 10; berry superior, 10-celled, 10-seeded. Herbaceous. Racemes 

 often opposite the leaves. 



P. DECANDRIA. Poke. Garget. Jalap. 



Lvs. ovate, acute at both ends ; fls. with 10 stamens and 10 styles. 1\. A 

 common, well-known plant, growing about roadsides, hedges, U. S. and Can. 

 Root very large and branching. The stem, with the diameter of an inch, is 5 

 8f high, round, smooth, branching, and when mature, of a fine, deep purple. 

 Leaves 5' by 2 3', smooth, of a rich green color, entire and petioled. Racemes 

 cylindric, long, at first terminal, becoming finally opposite to the leaves. Flow- 

 ers greenish- white, consisting of 5 ovate, concave sepals, 10 stamens with white, 

 2-lobed anthers, and 10 short, recurved styles. The fruit is a dark purple berry, 

 of a round, depressed form. The juice of the berries stains paper and linen a 

 beautiful purple color, which, however, is not durable. In Spain, it is said 

 they are used to color wine. July Sept. 



ORDER CXII. LAURACEJE. LAURELS. 



Trees and shrubs, with alternate, exstipulate Ivs. and umbelled or panicled fls. 



Cal. Sepals 46, somewhat united, free from the ovary, imbricated in 2 series. 



Sta. definite, perigynous, usually twice as many as the sepals, the 3 inner sterile or wanting. 



Anth. adnate, 2 4-celled, opening by recurved valves, from the base to the apex. 



Ova. Style and stigma single. 



Fr. Berry or drupe on a thickened pedicel. Seed large, without albumen. Plumula conspicuous, 2-leaved. 



Genera 46, species 450, chiefly natives of the tropics, but few being sufficiently hardy to endure our 

 climate. 



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

 lant aromatic oil. Cinnamon is the dried bark of Cinnamomum Zeylanicum, 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 aromaticum, of China. Persea gratissima, a tree of the W. Indies, 

 yields a delicious fruit called the Avocado pear. Both of the following species are also moderately medi- 

 cinal. 



Genera. 



$ 2 valves/ Benzoin. 1 

 Anthers opening by 4 valves. Sassafras. 2 



1. BENZOIN. Nees. 



Flowers $ , rarely by abortion cT 9 . Calyx deeply 6-parted ; sta. 

 9, the inner row each with a pair of opposite, pedicellate glands at 

 base ; anth. opening by 2 valves, detached below and reflected up- 

 ward ; sty. short, thick; drupe 1 -seeded. Lvs. deciduous, entire. Fls. 

 preceding the leaves, lateral. 



B. ODORIFERUM. Nees. (Laurus Benzoin. Linn.} Fever-bush. Spice Wood. 



Lvs. obovate-lanceolate, veinless, entire, deciduous \fls. in clustered umbels, 

 often direcious; buds and pedicels smooth. A shrub 6 12f in height, in moist 

 woods, U. S. and Can. It has an aromatic flavor resembling gum Benzoin, 

 and the bark an agreeable, spicy taste. Leaves oval or obovate, cuneiform and 

 acute at base, 2 4' long and J as wide, paler beneath. Flowers pedicellate, in 

 small, sessile umbels, greenish, appearing in advance of the leaves. Calyx 6- 

 cleil, with oblong segments. Berries red. May. 



2. SASSAFRAS. Nees. 



Dioeciously-polygamous ; calyx colored. 6-parted. c? Sta. 9, fertile, 

 the inner row with each a pair of opposite, pedicellate glands at base ; 

 anth. opening by 4 valves. 9 Sta. 6, short, abortive ; sty. filiform ; 



