sassafras

Sassafras albidum

sassafras puhekieltä A tree of species (taxlink) of the eastern United States and Asia having mitten-shaped leaves and red, aromatic heartwood.
puhekieltä A tree of any species in the genus Sassafras.
puhekieltä The bark of the root of this plant, used for medicinal and (mostly historically) culinary purposes and formerly a main ingredient in root beer.
1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, in Kupperman 1988, p. 82:

our allowance was somewhat bettered, by a daily proportion of Bisket, which the sailers would pilfer to sell, give, or exchange with us, for money, Saxefras, furres, or love.