Here is some info on sassafrass
Sassafras, genus of trees and shrubs of the laurel family. The genus, which is native to the North Temperate Zone, contains few species, the most important of which is the American sassafras, which is cultivated for the bark of its root. The American sassafras is found almost throughout the eastern United States; it grows from bush to tree size and attains a height of almost 15 m (50 ft) in the southern United States. The leaves are deciduous, and the wood is yellow and soft. The bark of the root has long been used in medicine as a stimulant and diuretic. The bark, which contains a volatile oil, oil of sassafras, is also used in perfumery. Extracts of sassafras bark are used as bitters and flavoring agents in the preparation of various beverages. The yellow flowers, which are borne in racemes, have a six-lobed calyx and a six-lobed corolla. The male flowers have nine stamens; the female flowers bear a solitary pistil. The fruit is a blue drupe which is borne on a red pedicel or stalk.
Scientific classification: Sassafras plants make up the genus Sassafras of the family Lauraceae. The American sassafras is classified as Sassafras albidum.
"Sassafras," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 98 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.