Laurus. enneandria monogynia. 305 



They were brought to that place from Sumatra, or 

 Java by Governor Vanderstell, in l(J92-3, the trunk of 

 these trees, now 1798, is short in proportion to their thick- 

 ness, rather crooked, and from ten to twelve or even 

 more feet in circumference. The whole tree lias much the 

 appearance of a fine old oak. I saw about twenty of them, 

 besides which many have been cut down for the wood, nor 

 could 1 learn that any attempts had been made to pro- 

 cure Camphire from them ; though the owner. Mynheer 

 De Vos says, he has often observed minute whitish 

 grains amongst the fibres of the wood, but knew not 

 what they were, and paid no attention to them. Many 

 young trees and plants are to be found in the neighbour- 

 hood. They all seem perfectly at home. M. De Vos 

 would certainly find it worth his while to cut up into 

 chips every refuse piece, and sublime, or distil it with 

 water in an iron retort, covered with an earthen, or 

 wooden head, in the cavity whereof hay or straw should be 

 put to which the Camphor as it rises would adhere. See 

 Kcemp. Amoen. p. 772. Thunberg, &c. authors who have 

 written on the subject. 



The Leaves are alternate, petioled, ovate, and oblong- 

 lanceolate, smooth, entire, pointed, triple-nerved, the 

 nerves less regularly disposed than in any of the other spe- 

 cies, and vanishing about the middle of the leaf ; they are 

 from three to four inches long including the petiole, which 

 is from a third to a fourth of the whole. 



Stipules none. Panicles axillary, solitary, about as 

 long as the leaves, and composed of small, alternate, 

 corymbiform ramifications. Flowers numerous, all her- 

 maphrodite that I have examined, small, of a pale green- 

 ish yellow. Bractes small, caducous. Corol, nectarial 

 glands, stamina, pistil and berry exactly as in L. Cinna- 

 momum. See the description thereof. 



The alternate leaves, and alternate ramifications of 



M m 



