SAPOTACEAE 301 



Bumelia lycioides (L.) Gaert. 



A small tree, but taller and straighter than the preceding, 

 partly evergreen, and peculiar in the fact that the leaves do not 

 change color in the fall, but remain green until they drop off at 

 intervals through the winter. This is one of the few Alabama 

 trees which seems not to be known or used by the natives. 



Grows on calcareous and shaly slopes, river-banks, etc. 



IB. Jackson, Madison and Morgan Counties, on limestone. 

 2B. Shaly bluffs near Simpson's Creek, Cullman County ; rare. 

 Bluffs on Warrior River, Tuscaloosa County. 



3. Etowah, Blount, St. Clair and Jefferson Counties. 

 7. Dallas and Marengo Counties. 

 lOE. Rich woods east of Ozark, Dale County, 

 low. Wilcox County (Buckley). 



11. Bank of Murder Creek, Conecuh County. 



12. Limestone outcrop near Gordon, Houston County. 



SYMPLOCACEAE. (Comprises only the following genus). 

 SYMPLOCOS, Linnaeus. 



A large genus of trees and shrubs, mostly in eastern Asia and 

 the tropics. Only the following occurs in North America. 



Symplocos tinctoria ( L) L'Her. 



Sweet-leaf, Sweet Bay. (Horse-Sugar). 



A large shrub or small tree much like a bay in appearance, 

 evergreen or nearly so, with yellowish flowers in March and April. 

 In Chilton County I have seen a tree about nine inches in diameter 

 and forty feet tall, but it is usually a shrub only a few feet tall. 

 It is ornamental and easily cultivated, but apparently seldom if ever 

 handled by American nurserymen. According to Sargent, it was 

 formerly cultivated in England. F. A. Michaux said of it about 

 100 years ago that its wood was totally useless. The leaves have a 

 sweet taste, and are relished by grazing animals. They and the 

 bark yield a yellow dye. 



This species inhabits rich woods, bluffs, etc.. pretty well pro- 

 tected from fire, mostly in those parts of the state where less than 

 15% of the area was cultivated in cotton in 1880. 



IB. Falkville, Morgan County (Mohr). 



2A. Occasional throughout. 



2B. Fayette, Walker, Jefferson and Tuscaloosa Counties. 



3. Along Cahaba River above Pratt's Ferry, Bibb County. 



4. Clay and Coosa Counties. 



5. Clay, Coosa, Chilton and Elmore Counties. 



