Trees of New York State 367 



of wide distribution throughout the warmer parts of the world. 

 Six genera are represented in North America, two of which include 

 only shrubby forms; three of the remaining arborescent genera 

 are found in the Atlantic States while the fourth occurs on the 

 Pacific Slope. 



Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, rather tliiek, pellucid-puuctate, estipu- 

 late. Flowers small regular, yellowish green, perfect, unisexual or polyga- 

 mous, generally fragrant; calyx 6-lobed, the lobes in 2 series, imbricated in 

 the bud; corolla lacking; stamens 9 or 12, inserted at the base of the calyx 

 in 3 or 4 sets of 3, distinct, the inner set sterile; anthers 4-celled, superposed 

 in pairs, opening by uplifted lids; ovary 1-eelled, 1-ovuled; stigma discoid 

 or capitate. Fruit a 1-sccded berry or drupe; seed Avith erect cndjryo, the 

 cotyledons fleshy. 



THE SASSAFRAS. Genus SASSAFRAS Nees. 

 Aromatic trees with deeply furrowed bark, smooth green pithy 

 mucilaginous twigs, and entire or lobed, alternate leaves. Two 

 species have been described, one a native of the temperate portion 

 of eastern North America, the other of China. 



Leaves alternate, membranaceous, deciduous, ovate or obovate, entire and 

 jicute or 1-3-lobed at the apex AAdth broadly ovate, oblique lobes separated by 

 deep broad sinuses, cuneate at the base, conspicuously, reticulate and arcuate- 

 veined, at maturity dark green, glabrous and impressed-veined above, paler 

 beneath. Flowers vernal, appearing with the leaves, usually dioecious borne 

 on slender pedicels in lax, pilose, umbelled, few-flowered racemes in the axils 

 of accrescent, obovate bud-scales ; calyx yello\\dsh green, divided nearly to the 

 base into 6 narrowly obovate, subequal, spreading lobes; stamens 9, inserted 

 in 3 series on the thickened margin of the calyx-tube; filaments elongated, 

 compressed, light yellow, those of the inner series equipped with two orange- 

 colored, stalked glands; anthers oblong, orange-colored, those of the fertile 

 flowers generally reduced to staminodia; pistil consisting of an ovoid, green, 

 glabrous ovary terminated, by a long style and capitate stigma. Fruit a 

 globose-oblong, dark blue, lustrous berry, borne upright in the red, accrescent, 

 obscurely-lobed calyx and enlarged end of the pedicel; flesh thin; seeds brown, 

 smooth and pointed. 



WITCH HAZEL FAMILY. HAMAMELIDACEAE 



Trees or shrubs with watery juice, slender terete branchlets, 

 naked or scaly buds, alternate leaves, and fibrous roots. Some 

 eighteen genera and thirty-five species are included, natives of 

 eastern North America, southern and eastern Asia, the Malay 

 Archipelago, Madagascar and South Africa. Three genera are 

 represented in North America, two by arborescent forms. 



Leaves alternate, simple, stipulate, petiolate, deciduous. Flowers perfect 

 or unisexual; calyx 4-parted the tube adherent to the ovary, or none; petals 



