1902] 



NOTES ON SASSAFRAS 



429 



may be opposite ; they may form an acute angle with the midrib 

 but 6 or 7"^"^ from its base; or they may not branch from the 

 midrib until one-fourth the distance to the tip is traversed 

 (one example four-fifths and one three-elevenths). 



The typical five-lobed leaves, excluding those with four 



lobes, which are similar with the oblitera- 

 tion of the sinus of one of the lobes, or 

 are the typical trilobed leaves with a 

 small extra lobe on either side of the 

 terminal or lateral lobes, sometimes even 

 having six lobes {Jig. 4), are strikingly 

 handsome leaves and would hardly be 

 taken for Sassafras leaves by even a 

 trained observer. They undoubtedly 

 represent a great development laterally 

 of the typical trilobed forms with the 

 additional small lobes {fig, 2), all the 



Fig. 2. — Abnormal leaf 

 of Sassafras; reduced two- 

 thirds. 



lobes becoming greatly 

 broadened and somewhat 

 orbicular in outline. 

 They are constant on 

 some small trees which I 

 have had under observa- 

 tion, and may represent 

 the result of a super- 

 abundant food supply, as 

 they all grew in rich soil 

 of open woodlands. 

 These leaves are nearly 

 orbicular in outline, a 



large specimen measuring i^^.^^^ in length by 200'°'° in breadth 

 {fig- j), and consist of a central lobe and a pair of lateral 

 lobes on each side, all nearly equal in size and separated by 

 deep spatulate sinuses. The tips range from acute to rounded, 



Fig. 3.— Abnormal leaf of Sassafras ; reduced 



two-thirds. 



