‘■.“’r e - < H r t a . P i n k . A im . 120 t, 222. r- ’ '^ ^ s s a tr a s a r b o r , e x H o n d a , f ic u h ic o lo lio , H a u /i. P m . 4 31. : S a s s a fr a s s o . C G N e e i P n u
S p r e n g . ; L a u r i e r S a s s a fr a s . F r . ; S a s s a fr a s L o ? b e e r . ¿ f r ! ? S a s !
*■ *■ '■ in A rb . B r i t . , 1 s t e d . v o l . v ii. ;
Spec. Char., 4c. Sexes dioecious. Arborescent. Leaves and flowers produced
from the same buds. Buds, younger branches, and the under surface
of the leaves, pubescent. Leaves entire, or with 2—3 lobes. Veins prominent
on the under side. Flowers in corymbose conglomerate racemes
Anthers with 4 unequal cells. In the female flower, additionally to the pistil
are 6 gland-hke bodies, like those in the male flowers. (N utt.) A deciduous
tree. South Carolina. Height 40 ft. to 50 ft. Introducedin 1633
4 lowers greenish yellow, slight, odoriferous; April and May. Berries
bright deep blue, contained in small dark red cups ; ripe in September.
The sassafras tree often grows, even in England, to the same height as in
America. The leaves, which vary very much in size and shape, are covered
when tliey first appear, with a soft woolly down ; they are generally deeply
lobed, on long footstalks, and of a pale green ; they fall off early in autumn of
1333. ft. S4stt{frùs.
an intense red 1 a
and yellow. Any free soil, rather inoist than dry, will suit this
species, which 1 is generally ¿cnci any propagated pi opagaceu from irom imported importeu seeds. These Ihese should be
be
sown, or put in in a a rnf.-rot-heap,hpnn. as h«: soon «onn as qo received,po/votTroU oo as they «-K».., remain a year and
i
sometimes two or three years, in the ground, before they come up. It may
also be propagated by cuttings of the roots, or by suckers, which the roots of
" t e
old trees throw up in great abun iance. The situation where the tree is finally
planted should be sheltered ; and, in the North of England and in Scotland,
to insure fine foliage, it should be planted against a wall.
âà 5. L . B e n z o ' i n L. The Benzoin Laurel, or Benjamin Tree.
Identification. Lin. Hort. Cliff., 154. ; W'illd. Sp. Pl., 2. p. 4-35. ; Pursh, I. p. 276.
Synonymes. Arbor virginiana citreæ vel limonii folio, benzoinum fundens, Comm. Hort. 1. p. 189
t. 97.; Laûpus æstivàiis Wangh. Amer. 87. ; L . Pseùtlo-jSCTtzom Mich. Fl. Amer. I. p. 243. ; I..
Euosmus Benzbin Nutt. Gen. 1. p. 259. ; Benzoin sp, C. G. Nees Von Esenbeck ; Spice Bush,
Spice Wood, or wild Allspice, Amer., according to Nuttall : Laurier faux Benzoin, Fr. ; Benzoin
Lorbeer, Ger.
Engravings. Comm. Hort., 1. t. 97. ; Pluk. Aim., t. 139. f. 34. ; and onr fig. 1334.
Spec. Char., 4c. Leaves cuneate-obovate,
entire, the under side whitish and partly
pubescent, deciduous. Sexes polygamous.
Flowers in umbels. Buds and pedicels
of the umbels glabrous. Leaves without
nerves, ovate, acute at both ends. (Willd.)
A deciduous shrub. Virginia. Height
10ft. to l2 ft. Introduced in 1688. Flowers
yellowish green ; March and April.
Berries scarlet ; seldom or never seen on
the plants in England.
Ill British gardens, it forms a rather
tender peat-earth shrub, handsome from its
large leaves, but seldom thriving, except
where the soil is kept moist and the situation
sheltered. It is propagated from imported
seeds, which require to be treated
like those of Z/auriis Sassafras ; by layers j
or, with difficulty, by cuttings. 1334. ft. De„zoin.
ja 6. L . (B .) Diospy'rus Pers. The Diospyrus-/i7f(? Laurel, or Bay.
Mentificaiion. Pers. Syu., 1. p. 450. ; Pursh Sept., 1. p. 276.
Synonymes, L. Euôsmus Diospÿrus Nutt. Gen. 1. p. 259. ; L . diospyroldos Michx. Fl Bor. Amer.
1. p. 243. ; ? L. melissæfblia IFa«. K. Car. 134.
Engravings. Bot. Mag., t. 1470. ; and o u r ^ . 1335.
Spec. Char., 4c- Habit low, surculose, twiggy.
Leaves oblong-oval, and entire, the under side
veiny and pubescent, deciduous. Flower buds
and pedicels villous. Sexes dioecious. (Nutt.) A
running, twiggy, deciduous shrub. Virginia and
Carolina, in swamps. Height 2 ft. to 3 ft. Introduced
in 1810. Flowers greenish yellow; April.
Berries scarlet or purple ; rarely seen in England.
Leaves opaque, oblong-oval, attenuated towards
the base, entire, the under side veiny and pubescent,
deciduous. Scales of the buds purple, villous.
Younger branches villous. This species so closely
resembles L . Benzoin, as to leave no doubt in our
mind that it is only a variety of it. 1335 oiospinu.
SÉ 7. Z. g enicula'ta Michx. YhcLneQ-^cxcA.-hranched Lmivel, or Bay.
Identification. Michx. Fl. Bor. Amer., 1. p. 244. ; Puvsh Sept., 1. p. 276.
Synonymes. L . Euôsmus geuiculàta Nutt. Gen. 1. p. 2.59. ; L . oestivàîis WiUd Sp. PI. 2. p. 484.,
according to Pursh.
Engravings. Bot. Mag., t. 1471. ; and onr fig. 1336.
Spec. Char., 4c. Branches divaricate and flexuous. Leaves cuneate-oblong,
mostly obtuse, about l |in . long, in many instances less than half an inch
wide, entire, glabrous, except upon the under side near the base. Flowers