552 



LAURACEAE 



Mountain canons and valley flats of the Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada, 

 south to San Diego Co. and north to southern Oregon. Very common. 



Biol, and Econ. Note. — This tree takes ou a variety of forms iu different situations. It 

 becomes: (o) a large tree in eaiion flats, rich valleys or river bottoms; (h) gregarious in 

 canons, where its low colonies are often wind-controlled; (c) a small tree or bush on rock out- 

 cropping in the hills; (d) a slender dwarf 3 to 6 feet high in the chaparral; and (e) pros- 

 trate on the ocean bluffs, forming mats 1 to 2 feet high and 10 to 1.5 feet broad. As a large 

 tree it is most abundant and of greatest size on the alluvial river fiats of northwestern Califor- 

 nia and adjacent Oregon. The wood is odorous, hea\'y, hard and strong and takes a high 



Fig. 110. Umbellularia californica Nutt. Fruiting branchlet, X 1. 



polish. It is used for staves, shoe-lasts, turned articles, furniture and interior finisli and is 

 especially prized by the cabinet maker. It is also called Bay Tree and Bay-Laurel. In the 

 woods of Mendocino and Hmnboldt cos. it is known as Peppenvood and in Oregon as Myrtle. 



Locs. — East Fork Illinois River, Del Norte Co., Jepson ; Myers Ranch, South Fork Eel 

 River, Tracy 5101; Cahto, Jepsmi; Elk Creek, Mendocino Coast, Jepson; Mill Creek, Ukiah, 

 Jepson; Cloverdale, Jepson; St. Helena, Jepson; Twin Sisters Peak, \v. Solano Co., Jepson 

 2393; Mt. Tamalpais, Jepson; Berkeley, Jepson; Mt. Diablo, Jepson; Swanton, Santa Cruz 

 Co., Jepson; San Antonio Trail, Santa Lucia Mts., Jepson. Sierra Nevada: Elsie Creek, 

 Amador Co., Htinsen 210; G«in Mine, Calaveras Co.. Jepson: Patterson Grade, Stanislaus Co., 

 A. L. Grant 559; Hetch-Hetchy, Jepson; Cedar Creek, Sequoia Park, Jepson; South Fork 

 Kaweah River, Jepson. Southern California: Santa Inez Mts., Breicer 326; Santa Monica 

 Caiion, J. B. Barber 7; San Antonio Caiion, C. F. Baker 3686; Mt. Ontario, Atirelia S. Har- 

 wood; San Jacinto Mts., Hall 520. 



Refs. — Umbellularia californica Nutt, N. Am. Svlv. 1:87 (1842); Jepson, Fl. W. Mid. 

 Cal. 191 (1901), Silva Cal. 242, pis. 10, 76 (1910) 



Jepson, Flora of California, vol. 1, pt. 7, pp. 529-552, Oct. 19, 1921. 



