Lauracee—Laurus. 393 
2 or 4 longitudinal valves. Fruit a 1-celled l-seeded berry or 
drupe; seed pendulous. There are about 50 genera and 450 
species, common in sub-tropical regions of Asia and America. 
Few hardy species are known. 
1. LAURUS. 
Shrubs or trees with l-nerved alternate leaves and fascicled 
sessile sub-dicecious flowers. Perianth 4- to 6-lobed. Stamens 
12, all fertile; anthers opening upwards by 2 valves. Fruit a 
succulent berry surrounded by the persistent base of the peri- 
anth. Only two species are retained under this genus by some 
authors. The Latin name of the European species. 
1. L. nobilis. Sweet Bay, Laurel of the Ancients.—This 
aromatic fragrant evergreen shrub has oblong-lanceolate acute 
venose leaves and axillary clusters of yellowish flowers in early 
Spring. It is a native of the extreme South of Europe. There 
is a closely allied half-hardy species from the Canaries. 
L. Sassafras, syn. Sassafras officinale, is a hardy deciduous 
tree of small stature from North America. It has deeply fur- 
rowed rough aromatic bark, yellowish green twigs, ovate entire 
or trilobate leaves, greenish yellow dicecious flowers in 
clustered racemose panicles, appearing with the leaves. The 
anthers are 4-valved, and this with other characters has been 
considered sufficient to separate it from Laurus. 
L. Benzoin, syn. Benzoin odoriferum, is a deciduous North 
American shrub with oblong-ovate leaves and clustered um- 
bellate flowers appearing before the leaves. It is rarely seen 
in gardens. 
Orpen XCV.—_THY MELACEZ. 
Shrubs or trees with a tough fibrous bark, or rarely herbaceous. 
Leaves simple, entire, opposite or alternate. Flowers usually 
bisexual, in terminal or axillary spikes or heads, sometimes 
involucrate, rarely solitary. Perianth inferior, tubular-cam- 
panulate; limb usually 4-lobed, lobes imbricate in bud. 
Stamens commonly 8, and in two series, sometimes 4 or 2, and 
opposite the perianth-lobes. Fruit a berry or drupe or dry 
nut, l-celled 1-seeded; seed pendulous. Genera about 40, 
including 300 species. Rare in the northern hemisphere, 
abundant at the Cape of Good Hope, in Australia and South 
America. 
