Aromatic trees or shrubs with alternate, simple, deciduous, often lobed leaves. Juice of bark and leaves mucilaginous. Flowers yellowish-green, in clusters; blooming in early spring. Fruit a small bluish drupe on a thick reddish stem. Ripe in September. Twigs greenish-yellow. [Illustration: S. officinàle.] =Sássafras officinàle=, Nees. (SASSAFRAS.) Leaves very variable in form, ovate, entire, or some of them 2- to 3-lobed, soon smooth. Flowering as the leaves are putting forth. Tree 15 to 100 ft. high, common in rich woods. The aromatic fragrance is strongest in the bark of the roots. Wood reddish, rather hard and durable. GENUS =70. LÍNDERA.= Shrubs with deciduous, alternate, aromatic leaves and small, yellow flowers in close clusters along the branches. Fruit a drupe on a not-thickened stalk. [Illustration: L. Benzòin.] =Líndera Benzòin=, Blume. (SPICE-BUSH. BENJAMIN-BUSH.) Leaves alternate, oblong-ovate, entire, pale beneath, very spicy in odor and taste; twigs green; leaf-buds scaly; drupes red, ripe in autumn. Flowers 4 to 5 together in sessile umbels; in early spring, before the leaves expand. Common in damp woods throughout. ORDER =XXXIV. ELÆAGNÀCEÆ.= (OLEASTER FAMILY.) A small order of shrubs or small trees, with the leaves covered with silvery scurf. GENUS =71. ELÆÁGNUS=. Leaves alternate, entire; flowers axillary, stemmed; fruit drupe-like with an 8-grooved stone. [Illustration: E. lóngipes.] =Elæágnus lóngipes.= (SILVER-LEAVED ELÆAGNUS.) Leaves almost evergreen, rather thick, ovate-oblong, rather blunt, entire, smooth and dark green above, but silvery below. Flowers inconspicuous. Fruit about ½ in. long, bright red, with silvery scales, very abundant and beautiful; ripe in July; juicy and edible, with a pungent flavor. Shrub from Japan; hardy throughout. GENUS =72. SHEPHÉRDIA.= Small trees or shrubs with opposite, deciduous, entire, silvery-scaled leaves. Flowers very small, dioecious. Fruit small, berry-like, translucent, 1-seeded. [Illustration: S. argéntea.] =Shephérdia argéntea=, Nutt. (BUFFALO-BERRY. RABBIT-BERRY.) Leaves opposite, oblong-ovate, tapering at base, silvery on both sides, with small peltate scales. Branches often ending in sharp thorns. Fruit, scarlet berries the size of currants, forming continuous clusters on every branch and twig, but found only on the pistillate plants. They are juicy, somewhat sour, pleasant-tasting, and make excellent jelly; ripe in September. A small handsome tree, 5 to 20 ft. high, wild in the Rocky Mountains, and sometimes cultivated east. Its thorny-tipped branches make it a good hedge-plant. Hardy. ORDER =XXXV. EUPHORBIÀCEÆ.= (SPURGE FAMILY.) A large order of mainly herbaceous and shrubby plants of warm countries, with usually milky juice. GENUS =73. BÚXUS.= Shrubs or trees with opposite, evergreen, entire leaves and small flowers. The fruit 3-celled, 6-seeded pods. [Illustration: B. sempérvirens.]