=Remarks.=--This species is also known as the yellow and white pawpaw.
Recently some enthusiasts have christened it the "Hoosier Banana". There
has been an attempt for years to cultivate the pawpaw, and some
varieties have been named. The fruit is variable. The one with a white
pulp is rather insipid and is not considered good to eat. The form with
a yellow pulp is the kind that is regarded as the most palatable. The
two forms are not botanically separated but Prof. Stanley Coulter has
made some observations on the two forms in the Ind. Geol. Rept.
24:745:1899. He says: "Two forms, not separated botanically are
associated in our area. They differ in time of flowering, in size,
shape, color and flavor of the fruit, in leaf shape, venation and odor
and color of the bark. They are of constant popular recognition and
probably separate species, never seeming to intergrade."
It is desirable for ornamental planning on account of its interesting
foliage, beautiful and unique flowers and delicious fruit. It is very
difficult to transplant a sucker plant, and in order to get a start of
this species it is best to plant the seed or seedlings. It is usually
found growing in the shade, but does well in full sunlight.
Mr. Arthur W. Osborn of Spiceland, who has done much experimental work
in propagating this species, reports some interesting cases of pawpaw
poisoning. He says he knew a lady whose skin would be irritated by the
presence of pawpaws. Some individuals after eating them develop a rash
with intense itching. In one instance he fed a person, subject to the
rash from eating the pawpaw, a peeled pawpaw with a spoon, and the
subject never touched the pawpaw, and the results were the same. The
American Genetic Association has taken up the subject of improving the
fruit of this tree, and there is no doubt but that in the future this
species will be of considerable economic importance. The tree is free
from all insect enemies, and since it can be grown in waste places,
there is no reason why it should not receive more attention than it
does.
=LAURÀCEAE.= The Laurel Family.
=SÁSSAFRAS.= The Sassafras.
=Sassafras officinàle= Nees and Ebermaier. Sassafras. Red Sassafras.
White Sassafras. Plate 69. Small to large trees; bark aromatic, smooth
on young trees, reddish-brown and deeply furrowed on old trees,
resembling that of black walnut; branchlets yellowish-green, splotched
more or less with sooty spots; twigs at first more or less hairy, soon
becoming smooth or remaining more or less hairy until autumn, more or
less glaucous, especially the smooth forms; buds more or less pubescent,
the axillary ones usually more or less hairy, the outer scales of the
terminal one usually smooth and glaucous; leaves simple, alternate,
ovate, elliptic to obovate, blades 5-16 cm. long, entire or with 1-5
lobes, narrowed at the base, the apex and terminal of the lobes acute,
both surfaces hairy when they expand, generally becoming smooth above
and beneath, or more often remaining more or less pubescent beneath, the
midrib and two lateral veins usually prominent beneath; petioles 0.5-5
cm. long, hairy at first, becoming smooth or more often retaining some
pubescence; flowers appear before or with the leaves in April or May,
small, yellow or greenish, the male and female generally on different
trees, on racemes up to 4 cm. long; flower stalks usually pubescent,
sometimes smooth; fruit an oblong, blue-black, glaucous berry which
matures late in summer; fruit generally 7-10 mm. long, on a stalk
including the pedicel and raceme up to 9 cm. long.
[Illustration: Plate 69.