94 THE PRINCIPAL SPECIES OF ^VOOD. 



Sassafras i '^"^^''/'''^^ officinale Nees and Eberm. 

 \ Sassafras sassafras {Linn.) Karst. 



Nomenclature. (Sudworth. ) 



Sassafras (local and common Sassafac, Sassafrac (W. Va., 



name). Del.). 



Saxifrax, Sasifrax Tree (Fla., Gumbo file (La., negro). 



Tenn.). 



Locality. 



Vermont to Florida, westward intermittently to Michigan and 

 Texas. 



Features of Tree. 



Thirty to fifty feet in height, one to three feet in diameter, 

 sometimes larger, often low shrub, characteristic odor and 

 leaves. 



Color, Appearance, or Grain of Wood. 



Thick heartwood, delicate brown, thin sapwood yellowish 

 white, coarse-grained, annual rings clearly marked. 



Structural Qualities of Wood. 



Light, soft, not strong, brittle, checks in drying, very durable 

 in contact with soil. Slightly aromatic. 



Representative Uses of Wood. 



Pails, buckets, ox-yokes, fence-posts, and rails. 



Weight of Seasoned Wood in Pounds per Cubic Foot. 



31- 



Modulus of Elasticity. 



730,000. 

 Modulus of Rupture. 



8500. 



Remarks. 



Leaves and shoots mucilaginous. Bark of root rich in highly 

 aromatic essences. Sassafras often forms thickets. 



