The FRUIT is an oblong berry 3 to 6 inches long, and contains a number of large, brown seeds. When ripe it falls to the ground, turning dark brown. The deep yellow flesh is palatable, though some people do not care for its unique flavor. The tree blooms and bears as a shrub or tree. The WOOD is light, weak, and spongy, yellow in color, and is of no known value. [Illustration: PAWPAW (Leaf, one-fourth natural size; twig, two-thirds natural size)] REDBAY Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng. Redbay is native to the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states from Virginia to southeastern and southern Texas and is a member of the Laurel family. In all, about 100 species of Persea are found in North and South America. Redbay grows to 70 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter, with a well-shaped head of erect, stout, dark green branches. It grows in moist, rich soils along the streams and in swamps and sometimes in drier soils along with longleaf pine, over the coastal region. [Illustration: REDBAY (Illustrations, two-thirds natural size)] The aromatic LEAVES are oblong, thick or leathery, up to 4 inches in length and 1½ inches in width, bright green with the margin entire and with a narrow, orange-colored midrib. They remain green over the first winter. The yellowish-white FLOWERS are in small clusters. The FRUIT is a nearly round, rather fleshy, shiny, dark blue or nearly black drupe, about ½ inch long. It ripens in the autumn and contains a large rounded stone. The WOOD is heavy, hard, strong, bright red, with thin, lighter colored sapwood. It is used for cabinet-making, and interior house finish, and has been used for boat construction. SILKBAY (Persea humilis Nash) is a dwarf or low growing shrub or tree 6 to 10 feet in height occurring in southern Texas. SASSAFRAS Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees This small tree with aromatic leaves and twigs is usually not over 40 feet in height or a foot in diameter. It is common in Texas west to the Brazos River on the drier soils, and is one of the first broad-leaved trees to grow on abandoned fields, where the seeds are dropped by birds. The species is closely related to the camphor tree of Japan. The BARK is red-brown and deeply furrowed while the bark of the twigs is bright green. The LEAVES are unusual in that they vary widely in shape on the same tree, or even on the same twig. Some are oval and entire, 4 to 6 inches long; others have one lobe, resembling a mitten; while still others are divided at the outer end into 3 distinct lobes. [Illustration: SASSAFRAS (Twig, one-half natural size; leaf and fruit, one-third natural size)]