APETALOUS EXOGENOUS PLANTS. 473 



** Flmi'ers dioecious ; stamens 9, all fertile. 



Anthers A-celled. Involucre none Sassafhas. 



^-celled. 4-leaved Benzoin. 



i-celled. 2-i-leaved Tetrantheka. 



PERSEA, Gsertn. Red Bat. 



Flotve7's 'perfect; caZt/o; deeply 6-parted, persistent; sta- 

 mens 12, in 4 rows, the inner ones sterile and gland-like ; 

 filaments p\xhe&cei\t,i\ie inner fertile ones biglandular; an- 

 thers 4-celled, those of the two outer rows introrse, of the 

 inner row extrorse ; stigma disk-like ; drupe OYoid. — Trees 

 or shrubs, with evergreen entire petioled leaves, and green- 

 ish or white /oz(;er5 in axillary peduncled clusters or pani- 

 cles. 



P. Carolinensis, Nees. Branchlets smoothish ; leaves 

 oblong or lanceolate-oblong, smooth and deep green above, 

 glacous beneath, obscurely veined ; floioers silky, in cymose 

 clusters, on peduncles shorter than the petioles; calyx- 

 lobes unequal, persistent ; driq^^e blue. (Laurus Carolinen- 

 sis, L.) Rich shady woods. July.— A tree, 20°-40° high ; 

 leaves 2-3' long. 



SASSAFRAS, Nees. 



Involucre none; floioers dioeciously polygamous; calyx 

 6-parted, spreading; stamens of the sterile flowers 9, in 3 

 rows, all fertile, the 3 inner ones biglandular at the base, 

 those of the fertile flow^ers 6, sterile ; anthers linear, 4-cell- 

 ed, 4-valved, introrse; style subulate; stigma disk-like; 

 drupes blue, on thick red pedicels. — Trees, with entire or 

 2-3-lobed deciduous leaves, and greenish flowers in clustered 

 racemes, appearing before the leaves. 



S. officinale, Xees. Leaves ovate, entire or 2-3-lobed, 

 smooth or pubescent; racemes &\\o\% siWy ', flowers some- 

 times white. (Laurus Sassafras, L.) Dry open woods and 

 old fields. March. — A small tree, with spicy bark. 



