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Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
Small shrub like tree (in the New England area at least). Older trees have deeply furrowed and coarsely ridged bark while young bark is rough, but not furrowed. The fragrance of the leaves when broken is distinctive and spicy.
Leaves: There are 3 specific sassafras leaf shapes- one of them is 3 lobed/trident shaped (with the middle lobe being much wider and rounder) and it resembles the classic dinosaur footprint. Another is mitten shaped- it looks similar to the 3 lobed leaf, but one of the sides is missing. The third is a simple, unlobed leaf. All shapes can appear on one tree and are smooth and untoothed.
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