LADRACKiE. (lAUKEL FAMILY.) 423 



2. SASSAFRAS, Necs. Sassafkas. 



Plowers dioecious, with a 6-parted spreading calyx ; the sterile kind with 9 

 stamens inserted on tlie base of the calyx in 3 rows, the 3 inner with a pair of 

 stalked glands at the base of each ; anthers 4-celled, 4-valved : fertile flowers 

 with 6 short rudiments of stamens and an ovoid ovary. Drupe ovoid (blue), 

 supported on a club-shaped and rather fleshy reddish pedicel. — Trees, with 

 spicy-aromatic bark, very mucilaginous twigs and foliage ; the latter decidu- 

 ous, often lobod. Flowers greenish-yellow, naked, in clustered and peduncled 

 corymbcd racemes, appearing with the leaves, involucrate with scaly bracts. 

 Leaf-buds scaly. ( The popular name, of Spanish origin. ) 



1. S. officiuUe, Nees. Leaves ovate, entire, or some of them 3-lobed, 

 soon glabrous. (Laurus Sassafras, i.) — Rich woods : common. April. — 

 Tree 1 5° - 50° high, with yellowish-green twigs. 



3. LINDEBA, Thunberg. Wild Allspice. Fevee-bush. 



Flowers polygamous-diojoious, with a C-parted open calyx ; the sterile kimj 

 with 9 stamens in 3 rows, the inner filaments 1 - ?-lobed and gland-bearing at 

 the base ; anthers 2Tcelled and 2-valved : fertile flowers with 15- 18 rudiments 

 of stamens in 2 forms, and a globular ovary. Drupe obovoid, red, the stalH not 

 thickened. — Shrubs, with deciduous leaves, and honey-yellow flowers in almost 

 sessile lateral umbel-like clusters, appearing before the leaves (in our species) ; 

 the clusters composed of smaller clusters or umbels, each of 4 - 6 flowers and 

 surrounded by an involucre of 4 deciduous scales. Leaf-buds scaly, (Namej 

 for John Linder, a Swedish botanist of the early part of the 18th century, 

 Benzoin, Nees, adopted in Ed. 2, is a much later name.) 



1. L. Benzbin, Meisner. (Spice-bosh. BenjamiNtPUSh.) Nearly 

 smooth; leaves oblong-ohovate, pale underneath. (Laurus Benzoin, L. Benzoin 

 odoriferum, Nees, & Ed. 2.) ^Pamp woods ; rather common. March, April. — 

 Shrub 6° -15° high. 



2. L. melissssfdliS/, Blume. Young branches and buds pubescent ; leaves 

 oblong, obtuse or heart-shaped at the base, downy beneath ; umbels few. (Laurus 

 meliss£efolia, Walt. 1,, diospyxoidea, Michx. Benzoin mplissiefolium, iVisfs.)—. 

 Low grounds, Virginifi, Illinois 1 and soutl^waJ:d, ApfiL 



4. TETRANTHERA, Jacq. Tetkantheba. 



Flowers dioecious, with a 6-parted deciduous ealyx ; the sterile with 9 stamens 

 in 3 rows ; their anthers all introrse, 4-celled, 4-valved : fertile flowers with 12 

 or more rudiments of stamens and a globular ovary. Drupe globular. — 

 Shrubs or trees, with entire leaves, and small flowers in axillary clustered lun- 

 bels. (Name composed of TfTpa,four, and avBrjpd, anther.) 



1. T. geuicul^ta, Nees. (Pond Spice.) Flowers (yellow) appearing 

 before the deciduous oblong leaves, which are hairy on the midrib beneath ; 

 branches forked and divaricate, the branchlets zigzag ; involucres 2 - 4-leaved, 

 2-4-flowered; fruit red. (Laurus geniculata, il/icti;.) — Swamps, Virginia 

 and southward. April. 



