29 T 



XXVII.— THE SOUTH AFRICAN CAMPHOR TREE. 



(Cryytocarya vaccinii folia, Stapf.) 



0. Stapf. 



A tree known in Soutli Africa as " Camphor tree" liasTecently 

 iK'en received for identification from Mr. I. B. Pole Evans, Chief 

 of the Division of Botany, Department of Agriculture, Pretoria, 

 and proves to be a new species of Cryptocarya, closely allied to 

 C. myrtifolm, StapL The tree was discovered in the Wolf Piver 

 Forest by Mr. J. D. Keet, Acting Assistant District Forest 

 Officer, aTul the specimens sent to Kew were accompanied by 

 concise notes, which have been of considerable assistance in draw- 

 ing- up a proper description of the tree, and have furnished the 

 basis of the following- information. 



The tree is at present known to exist only in the Wolf River 

 Forests and part of the adjoining Schwarzwald Forest, though a 

 few specimens have been found in Flo Forest. It forms a fair 

 percentage of the stocking in Wolf River, and is chiefly confined 

 to ridges, but it may also be found at all elevations between 2500 

 and 4500 feet. The soil where it flourishes is a deep, "ch, red 



dolerite lonm. 



/ 



feet high, with clean straight boles up to CO feet ^ in the best 

 specimens and a diameter at breast height up to 2| feet. Ihe 

 crowns are dense, well sha])ed and picturesque. Here and there 

 specimens hare outgrown the Yellow-wood, Black Ironwood ami 

 other trees, and have their crowns fully exposed to the liglit. 

 N^utural regeneration from seed is fair, and all sizes trom the 

 seedling stage are found. Straight and rapid-growing adventi- 

 tious shoots often form on the stem, and may reach 3 to 4 mclies 

 in diameter. The bark of voung trees and the higher parts ot 

 old stems is d.uk, and resembles that of Black Bark {hoyom 

 lucida); ultimately it turns greyish, and is then easily confused 

 with tliat of large-sized White Pear. The tree flowers profusely; 

 the flowers are i^nconspicuous, but honey bees visit the tree ^yhen 



in flower in hrryp numbers. , , , , r, + „^ ^^f^T. 



The boles are generally sound and of good shape, bu are oftei 



somewhat fissured towards the base. There is « Ff '^^P*^^;,^^^!" ;;^] 



of camphor emanating from the ^^f^^'^^'^^^'f^Zt iT^ 

 wood durir.g the dry season and a few days after fell g n the 



T&niy season. 



^i^e up to ihe present. 



ssegai (Curtf.ua 



«nd is straight-grained. It is probably ^^^t^^^^"^^*^^ J^"-J^^ 

 be used for spokes, felloes, or other wagon timber, but it should 



prove eAoloitiible for furniture. . . ^ ^ ^ i.,.^„-., f.-nm 



„ There V„e „, till no. 6 =P-f , ° ^^i^.'S ' r^^-iri 



Africa 



till liuu yf ap^'^*^*^ ^* - ■ i7i ^ ^ .-, Tt' i. t 



-u.n Amca, one of them confined to the ^^.^^^^ So"th-T\ est^ of 

 Cape Province, the others occurring m ^a tal ^^^"^ ^uf^ ^^^ 

 except C\ Woodn, which extends westwards '^^ Jf^^^^^ 

 WillLnstown Division. Of most of these ^•«*^, J ^ ^^^^ J / " ^ ^ 

 .and the herbarium material extant is extremely scant) Is 

 therefore very desirable that more attention be paid to tJiese 



C 



