VEGETABLES 



265 



in the countr}^, and its virtues proclaimed, in order 

 that the farmers upon whose plantations it may be 

 found, may preserve it from the indiscriminating axe, 

 Laurus borbonia. Red stalked Carolinian bay 

 tree. 



This grows naturally in Carolina, and rises with a 

 straight trunk to a considerable height, especially 

 near the sea coast. The leaves are sharp pointed, 

 and much longer than those of the European buy; a 

 little woolly underneath, veined transversely, and 

 somewhat reflexed on their edges. The male trees 

 produce their flowers in long bunches from the wings 

 of the leaves ; the female in loose bunches, standing 

 upon long red footstalks, and are succeeded by blue 

 berries sitting in red cups. 



The v/ood is of a very fine grain, proper for cabi- 

 net making, and other ornamental furniture. It also 

 dyes a beautiful black colour. 



JVyssa aquatica. Water tupelo tree. This growls 

 naturally in wet swamps, or near large rivers, in Ca- 

 rolina and Florida; rising with a strong upright 

 trunk to the height of eighty or an hundred feet, di- 

 viding into many branches towards the top. The 

 leaves are pretty large, of an oval, spear-shaped 

 form, generally entire, but sometimes somewhat 

 toothed, and covered with a whitish down ; they are 

 joined to long slender footstalks, and affixed to the 

 branches in somewhat of a verticiilate order, present- 

 ing a beautiful varied foliage. The berries are near 

 the size and shape of smalLolives, and preserved in 

 like manner by the French inhabitants upon the Mis- 

 sissippi, where it greatly abounds, and is called the 

 olive tree. The timber is white and soft when un- 



