306 ENNEANDRIA MONOGYNIA. LauruS. 



the panicles, imraediately distinguish this species from 

 all the others I have yet met with. 



This is far removed from the famous camphor tree of 

 Sumatra, which is a Shorea. 



Laurus camphorifera. Kcempf. Amoen. 770. t. 771. 



Leaves alternate, oblong, ventricose, acuminate, sub- 

 triple-nerved, with glands in their axils. Racemes axilla- 

 ry, nectarial glands conglobate. 



This slow growing, handsome tree, is a native of the 

 Malay Islands, and was introduced into the Botanic gar- 

 den at Calcutta in 1802 ; now 1810, the largest of many 

 individuals is only eight or ten feet high, clothed with 

 spreading branches down to the ground. They now be- 

 gin to blossom in April. 



Trunk in our young trees short, variously bent, divid- 

 ing into many, far expanding, ramous branches. Bark 

 of the oldest woody parts rather scabrous ; of the young 

 shoots smooth, polished, glaucous-green. Leaves alter- 

 nate, no tendency toward being opposite, petioled, of an 

 ovate, oblong-ventricose shape, entire, waved, tapering 

 at the apex to a long sharp point, while young, of a soft, 

 when old, of a firm, or rather hard texture, of a polished 

 deep green above, glaucous underneath, somewhat triple- 

 nerved, and in the axils of the nerves little glands, as men- 

 tioned by the accurate Koempfer ; from two to four inches 

 long. In this species they are particularly permanent, and 

 what is uncommon in these countries, scaly conical buds 

 are formed. The leaves, bark, and succulent parts smell 

 strongly of camphor when bruised. Petioles slender, chan- 

 nelled, scarcely an inch long. Racemes axillary, short, and 

 as yet simple, and bearing but very few, subopposite, small 

 whitish, pedicelled flowers. Bractes minute, and cadu- 

 cous. Calyx and Stamina as in the genus. Nectarial 

 glands three which (as in all the other species of Laurus 

 described by me,) are alternate with the inner three fila- 



