View source for Sassafras albidum

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Sassafras albidum
|accepted_authority=(Nuttall) Nees
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Syst. Laur.,
|place=490. 1836
|year=1836
}}
|common_names=Sassafras;white sassafras;filé;gombo filé
|special_status={{Treatment/ID/Special_status
|code=E
|label=Endemic
}}{{Treatment/ID/Special_status
|code=F
|label=Selected by author to be illustrated
}}{{Treatment/ID/Special_status
|code=W
|label=Weedy
}}
|basionyms={{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Laurus albida
|authority=Nuttall
}}
|synonyms={{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Laurus sassafras
|authority=Linnaeus
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Sassafras albidum var. molle
|authority=(Rafinesque) Fernald
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Sassafras officinalis
|authority=(Linnaeus) H. Karsten
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Sassafras sassafras
|authority=(Salisbury) Kuntze
}} {{Treatment/ID/Synonym
|name=Sassafras variifolium
|authority=unknown
}}
|hierarchy=Lauraceae;Sassafras;Sassafras albidum
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Lauraceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Sassafras]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>species</small>[[Sassafras albidum]]</div></div>
|volume=Volume 3
|mention_page=
|treatment_page=
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Trees,</b> to 35 m. <b>Twigs</b> pale green with darker olive mottling, terete. <b>Leaf</b> blade ovate to elliptic, unlobed or 2-3-lobed (rarely more), 10-16 × 5-10 cm, apex obtuse to acute. <b>Inflorescences</b> to 5 cm, silky-pubescent; floral bract to 1 cm. <b>Flowers</b>: fragrant (sweet, lemony), glabrous; tepals greenish yellow. <b>Staminate</b> flowers: inner 3 stamens with 2 conspicuously stalked glands near base of filament, filament slender; pistillodes usually absent (sometimes present in terminal flower of inflorescence). <b>Pistillate</b> flowers: staminodes 6; style slender, 2-3 mm; stigma capitate. <b>Drupe</b> ca. 1 cm; pedicel reddish, club-shaped, ± fleshy. <b>2n</b> = 48.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|phenology=Flowering spring (Apr–May).
|habitat=Habitat varied, forests, woodlands, fencerows, old fields (sometimes aggressively colonial), and disturbed areas
|elevation=0-1500 m
|distribution=Ont.;Ala.;Ark.;Conn.;Del.;D.C.;Fla.;Ga.;Ill.;Ind.;Iowa;Kans.;Ky.;La.;Maine;Md.;Mass.;Mich.;Miss.;Mo.;N.H.;N.J.;N.Y.;N.C.;Ohio;Okla.;Pa.;R.I.;S.C.;Tenn.;Tex.;Vt.;Va.;W.Va.
|discussion=<p>Infraspecific taxa have been based on amount of pubescence of leaves and color of young twigs; these taxa are not recognized here.</p><!--
--><p>Traditionally, "sassafras tea" was prepared by steeping the bark of the roots (D. S. Correll and M. C. Johnston 1970). It was once considered a relatively pleasant drink. Several indigenous populations used sassafras twigs as chewing sticks, and sassafras root is used occasionally in commercial dental poultices. <i>Sassafras</i> root was one of the ingredients of root beer; this use has now been banned.</p><!--
--><p>Safrole (p-allylyn ethylenediozybenzene) is found as a minor component in many Lauraceae and as the principal component (80%) of sassafras oil. It is suspected of causing contact dermatitis and of being hallucinogenic, especially in large doses; it is also considered to be both carcinogenic and hepatotoxic (W. H. Lewis and M. P. F. Elvin-Lewis 1977).</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

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-->{{#Taxon:
name=Sassafras albidum
|author=
|authority=(Nuttall) Nees
|rank=species
|parent rank=genus
|synonyms=Laurus sassafras;Sassafras albidum var. molle;Sassafras officinalis;Sassafras sassafras;Sassafras variifolium
|basionyms=Laurus albida
|family=Lauraceae
|phenology=Flowering spring (Apr–May).
|habitat=Habitat varied, forests, woodlands, fencerows, old fields (sometimes aggressively colonial), and disturbed areas
|elevation=0-1500 m
|distribution=Ont.;Ala.;Ark.;Conn.;Del.;D.C.;Fla.;Ga.;Ill.;Ind.;Iowa;Kans.;Ky.;La.;Maine;Md.;Mass.;Mich.;Miss.;Mo.;N.H.;N.J.;N.Y.;N.C.;Ohio;Okla.;Pa.;R.I.;S.C.;Tenn.;Tex.;Vt.;Va.;W.Va.
|reference=None
|publication title=Syst. Laur.,
|publication year=1836
|special status=Endemic;Selected by author to be illustrated;Weedy
|source xml=https://jpend@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation.git/src/8f726806613d60c220dc4493de13607dd3150896/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V3/V3_520.xml
|genus=Sassafras
|species=Sassafras albidum
}}<!--

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