Handbook of Trees of the Northern States and Cana 



223 



The Sassafras is a tree sometimes 8U or 90 

 ft. in lieiglit, with trunk from 4-0 ft. in diame- 

 ter, but is usually a considerably smaller tree 

 and in the nortliern part of its range is re- 

 duced to a shrub. When isolated its stout con- 

 torted branches ramify and ultimately divide 

 into a profusion of branchlets, forming a dis- 

 tinctly flat-topped irregular oblong liead of 

 characteristic aspect. It is a handsome tree at 

 all seasons of the year; in the winter on ac 

 count of the unobstructed view of its red- 

 brown furrowed bark and smooth green branch 

 lets; in spring on account of the tufts of pale 

 green velvety leaves and golden flowers, sub- 

 tended by enlarged showy bud-scales which 

 terminate each branchlet; in summer on ac 

 count of its rich green leaves of many shapes 

 and sizes and red-stemmed clusters of blue 

 l)erries, and in autumn on account of the deli- 

 cate red and yellow tints of its autumnal 

 garb. 



The wood of which a cu. ft. when absolutely 



dry weighs 31.42 lbs., is soft and brittle but 



very durable and is used in the manufacture 



of pails and buckets, for fence-posts, rails, etc- 



Lfarcs as described for the genus, P,-7 in. long. 

 FJoiccrs appear in April and Ma.v. Fruit ripens 

 in August and September. See generic description, 

 this being the only species.' 



1. Syn. Sassafras officinale N. & E. 



2. A. W., II, 32. 



3. For genus see p. 436. 



