304? LAURACEJE. 



ORDER LXXXV. LAURACEJE. 



A large Order containing 17 genera of Indian trees, many of which are important. 

 These genera belong to 4 tribes, viz. 



Tribe I. Perseacese .... Cinnamomum, Alseodaphne, Phoebe, 



Machilus, Haasia, Beilschmiedia 

 and Apollonias. 



II. Cryptocaryese . . . Cryptocarya. 



III. Litsseacese .... Tetranthera, Cylicodaphne, Dode- 



cadenia, Aciinodaphne, Litscea, 

 Daphnidium, Aperula and Lindera. 



IV. Hernandiese . . . Hernandia. 



Nectandra and Sassafras belong to the Sub-Order Oreodaphnea?, Persea to 

 Perseacese and Laurus to Litsseacese. The identification of many of the species of 

 the Order is very difficult, and few Orders more require further and careful investigation. 



Haasia Wightii, Nees ; Beddome t. 298, is a tree of the Anamalai Hills and the 

 Ghats of Tinnevelly and Travancore. Apollonias Arnottii, Nees ; Beddome t. 291 ; 

 Brandis 377, is a tree of the Tinneveily and Travancore Ghats and Malabar. 



Cryptocarya contains about 6 species. C. Wightiana, Thw. ; Beddome t. 299, is a 

 large tree of the Western Ghats and Ceylon. C. StocJcsii, Meissn., is a tree of Kauara ; 

 and C. Neilgherrensis, Meissn., of the Nilgiri Hills. C.floribunda, Nees, and C. amyg- 

 dalina, Nees; Gamble 64. Vern. Patmaro, Nep. ; Kaledzo, Lepcha, are trees of the 

 outer Sikkim Himalaya and Eastern Bengal. C. ferrea, Bl. ; and C. Griffithiana, 

 Wight ; Kurz ii. 295, are trees of Tenasserim. 



Cylicodaphne contains about 8 species placed by Beddome and Kurz under Tetran- 

 thera, but separated by Meissner in DC. Prodromus, Vol. XV. C. nitida, Meissn. 

 (Tetranthera nitida, Koxb. ; Kurz ii. 302. Vern. Kotoloah Ass.) is a large tree of 

 Eastern Bengal and Burma upon whose leaves the "Muga" silkworm (Anthercea 

 Assama) is sometimes fed. C. Wightiana, Nees, is a tree of Assam, South India 

 and Ceylon. Dodecadenia grandiflora, Nees ; Brandis 381 ; Kurz ii. 304, is an 

 evergreen tree of the Himalaya from Kumaun eastwards. Actinodaphne contains 

 about 9 species. A. angustifolia, Nees; Beddome clxxxvi. ; Brandis 381 (Litswa 

 angustifolia) ; Kurz ii. 305. Vern. Samkoh, Ass., Boltanaro, Garo; Tabongdeing, 

 Magh, is a large evergreen tree of Eastern Bengal, South India and Burma. 

 A. salicina, DC. ; Beddome t. 295, Kurz ii. 305, is a tree of the Western Ghats and 

 Ceylon. A. Hookeri, Meissn. ; Beddome t. 296 ; Brandis 381, is a small tree of 

 Sikkim and the Eastern and Western Ghats of South India. A. obovata, Hook. f. 

 and Th. ; Gamble 65. Vern. Muslindi, Nep. ; Pohor, Lepcha ; Laiphanzeh, Mechi ; 

 Cherritinga, Ass., is a large evergreen tree of the outer Sikkim Himalaya, Assam, 

 Khasia Hills and Sylhet, with large 3-nerved leaves, generally in whorls. Aperula 

 contains 2 trees : A. assamica, Meissn. (Lindera assamica, Kurz ii. 308), of Sikkim, 

 Assam and the Martaban Hills; and A. Neesiana, BL; Brandis 383. (Lindera 

 Neesiana, Kurz ii. 309) Vern. Karaway, Burin., of Nepal, Sikkim and Burma, yield- 

 ing, according to Kurz, excellent sassafras. Lindera contains about 5 species, chiefly 

 of Sikkim and Bhutan, the chief among which is L. heterophylla, Meissu., of the hills 

 of Sikkim at 8,900 to 9,000 feet. Hernandia peltata, Meissn.; Beddome t. 300; 

 Kurz ii. 309. Vern. Uparanthi Mysore ; Palati, Cingh., is an evergreen tree with 

 peltate leaves found in the coast forests of the Andamans and Ceylon. Beddorae says 

 that the wood is very light and takes fire readily, that the juice is u powerful 

 depilatory, removing the hair without pain, and that the seed and young leaves 

 are cathartic. Persea gratissima is the fruit tree, the Avocado Pear, cultivated in 

 India. The bay laurel is JLaurus nobilis. 



The wood of the Indian laurels is generally light-coloured, soft or 

 moderately hard, without heartwood, even-grained, seasoning well 

 without splitting. They have, with few exceptions, an exceedingly 

 uniform structure. Pores small or moderate-sized, uniformly distributed. 

 Medullary rays fine, uniform and equidistant. Aim mil rings distinctly 



