Flowers perfect, with a 6-parted calyx, persistent at the base of the berry-like fruit. Stamens 12, in four rows, the 3 of the innermost row sterile and gland-like, the rest bearing 4-celled anthers (i.e. with each proper cell divided transversely into two), opening by as many uplifted valves; the anthers of 3 stamens turned outward, the others introrse.—Trees, with persistent entire leaves, and small panicled flowers. (An ancient name of some Oriental tree.)
1. P. Carolinénsis, Nees. (Red Bay.) Hoary with a fine down, at least when young; leaves oblong, pale, soon smooth above; peduncle bearing few flowers in a close cluster; sepals downy, the outer shorter; berries dark blue, on a red stalk.—Swamps, S. Del. to Fla. and Tex. May. A small tree.
2. SÁSSAFRAS, Nees.
Flowers diœcious, with a 6-parted spreading calyx; the sterile kind with 9 stamens inserted on the 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, and very mucilaginous twigs and foliage; leaves deciduous, often lobed. Flowers greenish-yellow, naked, in clustered and peduncled corymbed racemes, appearing with the leaves, involucrate with scaly bracts. Leaf-buds scaly. (The popular name, applied by the early French settlers in Florida.)
1. S. officinàle, Nees. Trees 15–125° high, with yellowish-green twigs; leaves ovate, entire, or some of them 3-lobed, soon glabrous.—Rich woods, E. Mass. to S. Ont., Mich., E. Iowa and Kan., and south to the Gulf. April.
3. LÍTSEA, Lam.
Flowers diœcious, with a 6-parted deciduous calyx; 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 umbels. (Name of Chinese origin.)
1. L. geniculàta, Benth. & Hook. (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. (Tetranthera geniculata, Nees.)—Swamps, Va. to Fla. April.
4. LÍNDERA, Thunb. Wild Allspice. Fever-bush.
Flowers polygamous-diœcious, with a 6-parted open calyx; the sterile with 9 stamens in 3 rows, the inner filaments 1–2-lobed and gland-bearing at base; anthers 2-celled and 2-valved; fertile flowers with 15–18 rudiments of stamens in 2 forms, and a globular ovary. Drupe obovoid, red, the stalk 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. (Named for John Linder, a Swedish botanist of the early part of the 18th century.)