159 
The published records of the distribution are as follows: Cass 
(Hessler) ; Clark (Baird and Taylor) and (Smith) ; Dearborn (Collins) ; 
Decatur (Ballard); Delaware, Jay, Randolph and Wayne (Phinney) ; 
Fayette (Hessler); Fountain (Brown); Franklin (Meyncke); Gibson 
(Schneck); Hamilton (Wilson); Jefferson (Coulter) and (Young); 
Knox (Ridgway) and (Thomas); Kosciusko (Clark) and (Coulter); 
Lake (Blatchley) ; Marion (Wilson) ; Miami (Gorby) ; Monroe (Blatch- 
ley); Noble (Van Gorder); Parke (Hobbs); Posey (Schneck); Put- 
nam (MacDougal); Steuben (Bradner); Tippecanoe (Cunningham) ; 
Vigo (Blatchley); Wabash (Benedict and Elrod); Wayne (Petry and 
Markle). 
Additional records are: Montgomery (Thompson); Putnam 
(Grimes) and (Lewis and Bridges); Tippecanoe (Coulter) and 
(Dorner); Bartholomew, Clark, Crawford, Decatur, DeKalb, Dela- 
ware, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Laporte, 
Monroe, Morgan, Porter, Posey, Shelby, Wells (Deam). 
Economic uses. Wood very light, very soft, light yellow and 
coarse-grained. Supply is so limited as to be of no economic im- 
portance. The mature fruit is edible and relished by many per- 
sons. For years horticulturists have urged that the fruit of this 
tree be developed so that it might become one of our standard 
fruits. 
Horticultural value. It is desirable for ornamental planting on 
account of its interesting foliage, beautiful and unique flowers and 
delicious fruit. It prefers the shade and when planted several 
should be grouped together. 
LAURACEA. Tue Laurev Fatty. 
THE SASSAFRAS. 
Sassafras Sassafras (Linnzeus) Karsten. SAssarras. Rep Sass- 
AFRAS. WuitTe Sassarras. (Sassafras variifolium (Linnzeus) Kar- 
sten.) Plate 73. Bark aromatic, smooth on young trees, reddish- 
brown and deeply furrowed on old trees, resembling that of the 
black walnut; twigs yellowish-green, splotched with dark spots, 
young twigs hairy, soon becoming smooth; buds ovoid and pointed; 
leaves alternate, oval to obovate, margin entire or 1-3 lobed, some- 
times 5 lobed (the accompanying plate was made from a speci- 
men in the Deam herbarium, which has all the forms of the leaf on 
one twig), 10-15 em. (4-6 inches) long, 5-10 em. (2-4 inches) wide, 
hairy, when young, smooth at maturity; flowers appear in April or 
May before or with the leaves, greenish-yellow; fruit ripens in Aug- 
ust and September, about the size of a pea, blue black. 
