¶ The Description.
THe Sassafras tree grows very great, much like vnto the Pine tree: the trunke or body is straight, smooth, and void of boughes, of a great height: it is couered with a two fold grosse rinde, the vppermost of the colour of ashes, that next the wood of a tawnie colour: on the top come forth ma∣ny goodly branches, like those of the Palme tree, whereon doe grow greene leaues, somewhat like those of the Fig tree, of a sweet smell when they be greene, but much sweeter when they be dry, de∣clining to the smell of Fenell, with much sweetnesse in taste: they are greene Winter and Sommer, neither bearing fruit nor floures, but is altogether barren as it is said: the roots are grosse, confor∣mable to the greatnesse of the tree, of a tawnie colour, dispersing themselues far abroad vnder the vpper crust of the earth, by meanes whereof they are often cast downe with meane blasts of winde.
‡ The wood of the tree is very strong, hard and brittle, it hath not so strong & a pleasant smell as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the root, neither is it in such vse. The leaues are of two sorts, some long and smooth, and not snipt about the edges: other-some, and those chiefely on the ends of the branches, are deep∣ly gashed in, as it were diuided into three seuerall parts. I haue giuen the figure of a branch taken from a little tree, which grew in the Garden of Master Wilmote at Bow, who died some few yeares agoe. ‡