LAUHACEJE. (LAUREL FAMILY.) 423 



2. SASSAFRAS, Nees. Sassafras. 



Flowers dioecious, with a 6-partcd spreading calyx ; the sterile kind with 9 

 stamens inserted on the base of the calyx in 3 rows, the 3 inner with a pair of 

 stalked glands at the base of each; anthers 4-celled, 4-valved : fertile flowers 

 with 6 sliort rudiments of stamens and an ovoid ovary. Drupe ovoid (blue), 

 supported on a club-shaped and rather fleshy reddish pedicel. — Trees, with 

 spicy -aromatic bark, very mucilaginous twigs and foliage ; the latter decidu- 

 ous, often Iobed. Flowers greenish-yellow, naked, in clustered and pcduncled 

 corymbed racemes, appearing with the leaves, involucrate with scaly bracts. 

 Leaf-buds scaly. (The popular name, of Spanish origin.) 



1. S. officinale, Nees. Leaves ovate, entire, or some of them 3-lobed, 

 soon glabrous. (Laurus Sassafras, L.) — Rich woods: common. April. — 

 Tree 15° -50° high, with yellowish-green twigs. 



3. LINDERA, Thunberg. Wild Allspice. Fever-bush. 



Flowers polygamous-dioecious, with a 6-parted open calyx ; the sterile kind 

 with 9 stamens in 3 rows, the inner filaments 1 - 2-lobed and gland-bearing at 

 the base ; anthers 2-celled and 2-valved : fertile flowers with 15-18 rudiments 

 of stamens in 2 forms, and a globular ovary. Drupe obovoid, red, the stalk not 

 thickened. — Shrubs, with deciduous leaves, and honey-yellow flowers in almost 

 sessile lateral umbel-like clusters, appearing before the leaves (in our species) ; 

 the clusters composed of smaller clusters or umbels, each of 4-6 flowers and 

 surrounded by an involucre of 4 deciduous scales. Leaf-buds scaly. (Named 

 for John Under, a Swedish botanist of the early part of the 18th century. 

 Benzoin, Nees, adopted in Ed. 2, is a much later name.) 



1. L. Benzoin, Meisner. (Spice-bush. Benjamin-bush.) Nearly 

 smooth; leaves oblong-obovate, pale underneath. (Laurus Benzoin, L. Benzoin 

 odoriferum, Nees, & Ed. 2.) — Damp woods : rather common. March, April. — 

 Shrub 6° -15° high. 



2. L. melisS8ef61ia, Blume. Young branches and buds pubescent ; leaves 

 oblong, obtuse or heart-shaped at the base, downy beneath ; umbels few. (Laurus 

 melisssefolia, Walt. L. diospyroides, Michx. Benzoin melisstefolium, Nees.) — 

 Low grounds, Virginia, Illinois ? and southward. April. 



4. TETRANTHERA, Jacq. Tetranthera. 



Flowers dioecious, with a 6-parted deciduous calyx ; the sterile with 9 stamens 

 in 3 rows ; their anthers all introrse, 4-celled, 4-valved : fertile flowers with 12 

 or more rudiments of stamens and a globular ovary. Drupe globular. — 

 Shrubs or trees, with entire leaves, and small flowers in axillary clustered um- 

 bels. (Name composed of Ttrpa, four, and dvdrjpd, anther.) 



1. T. geniculata, Nees. (Pond Spice.) Flowers (yellow) appearing 

 before the deciduous oblong leaves, which are hairy on the midrib beneath ; 

 branches forked and divaricate, the branchlets zigzag ; involucres 2- 4-lcaved, 

 2-4-flowercd; fruit red. (Laurus geniculata, Michx.) — Swamps, Virginia 

 and southward. April. 



