L A U 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



L A U 



21 



3. Laugeria Tomentosa. Leaves ovate, acute, entire, 

 tomentose underneath; racemes dichotomous ; drupes with 

 two-celled nuts. Native of Jamaica. 



Laurel. See Laurus and Primus. 



Laurel, Spurge. See Daphne. 



Laurus ; a genus of the class Enneandria, order Monogy- 

 nia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: none, except it be 

 the corolla. Corolla: petals six, ovate, acuminate, concave, 

 erect; the alternate ones exterior. Nectary consisting of 

 three acuminated coloured tubercles, ending in two bristles, 

 standing round the germen. Stamina : filamenta nine, shorter 

 than the corolla, compressed, obtuse, three in each rank; 

 antherae growing on each side to the margin of the filamentum, 

 on the upper part; glandules two, globose, with a very short 

 footstalk, affixed to each filamentum of the inner rank near 

 the base. Pistil: germen subovate ; style simple, equal, 

 length of the stamina; stigma obtuse, oblique. Pericarp: 

 drupe (or berry) oval, acuminate, one-celled, comprehended 

 by the corolla. Seed: nut ovate-acuminate; kernel of the 

 same form. Observe. The greater part of the species, in- 

 cluding the Cinnamon and Camphor, are hermaphrodite ; 

 several are dioicous, as in the ninth species, (Laurus Nobilis,) 

 which has mostly from eight to fourteen stamina, with a deeply 

 four -parted corolla. The corpuscles annexed to some of the 

 stamina afford the essential character. ESSENTIAL CHA- 

 RACTER. Calix: none. Corolla: calicine, six-parted. Nec- 

 tary: of three two-bristled glands surrounding the germen. 



Filamenta: inner glanduliferous. Drupe: one-seeded. 



The species are, 



1. Laurus Cinnamomum ; Cinnamon Tree. Leaves three- 

 nerved, ovate-oblong ; nerves disappearing toward the end. 

 The Cinnamon-tree of America is twenty feet or more high ; 

 trunk about six feet high, and a foot and half in diameter; the 

 outer bark smoothish, and of a dusky cinereous colour; it 

 has spreading branches that form an elegant head ; leaves 

 shining, coriaceous, of a bright green above, pale underneath, 

 with the nerves whitish; flowers small, greenish-yellow, al- 

 most insipid, with a somewhat fetid smell, resembling that of 

 Lilium Martagon. Fruit the form and size of a middling 

 olive. The inner bark perfectly resembles the oriental Cin- 

 namon in smell, taste, and figure; the only difference is, that 

 it has a coarser texture, and a more acrid taste, which may 

 arise from the climate. But the varieties of Cinnamon are nu- 

 merous. The timber is white, and not very solid ; the root 

 is thick and branching, and exudes abundance of Camphor. 

 It flowers in February and March, and is a native of Marti- 

 nico on the mountain Calebrasse, and also of Brazil. Gsert- 

 ner describes the fruit of the Ceylonese Cinnamon as a sub- 

 globular berry, flatted a little at top, and torulose, covered at 

 the base by the calix, which is thick, coriaceous, angular, 

 sublobate, and having from six to nine unequal teeth ; the 

 pulp or flesh is very thick, and grows fungous with age, smell- 

 ing strong of Cinnamon; seed spherical, covered with acrus- 

 taceous brittle thin coat. The inner bark of this species is 

 the spice so well known under the name of Cinnamon. The 

 use of the Cinnamon-tree, however, is not confined to the 

 bark, for it is remarkable that the leaves, fruit, and root, all 

 yield oils of different qualities, and of considerable value. 

 That produced from the leaves is called Oil of Cloves, and 

 Oleum Malabathri ; that from the fruit is extremely fragrant, 

 and of a thick consistence, and at Ceylon is said to be made 

 into candles for the sole use of the king : and the bark from 

 the root not only affords an aromatic oil, which has been 

 called Oil of Camphor, but also a species of Camphor which 

 is purer and whiter than the common sort. Cinnamon is one 

 of the most grateful of aromatics ; its qualities are extracted 



by both water and spirit. It is an astringent, corroborating 

 the viscera, and proves of great service in several kinds of al- 

 vine fluxes, and immoderate uterine discharges, An essential 

 oil is sometimes extracted from Cinnamon, which is so exces- 

 sively pungent that it will produce an eschar on the skin if 

 applied to it ; but in doses of a drop or two, properly diluted 

 with sugar, mucilages, &c. it is said to be one of the most 

 immediate cordials and restoratives in cases of languor and 

 debility. Cinnamon, says Meyrick and Hill, is certainly a 

 most excellent cordial, which may be procured in any form at 

 the shops. It promotes the appetite, and is one of the best 

 remedies known for fluxes, and other disorders of the stomach 



and bowels. The bark of the Cinnamon-tree, whilst o'n 



the tree, is first stripped of its outer greenish coat ; and is 

 then cut longitudinally from the tree, and dried in the sand, 

 till it becomes fit for the market, when it is of a reddish yel- 

 low or pale rusty iron-colour, very light, thin, and curling up 

 into flakes. The best sort of Cinnamon, which grows in great 

 plenty in Ceylon, and is peculiar to that island, is called by 

 the natives rasse coronde, or Sharp Sweet Cinnamon. It is 

 this choice sort which was exported by the Dutch East India 

 Company, and prohibited, under severe penalties, to mix any 

 other sort with this. The second is called canatte coronde, 

 or Bitter Astringent Cinnamon. The bark of this comes off 

 very easily, and smells very agreeably when fresh, but has a 

 bitter taste. The root of this yields a very good sort of 

 camphor. It has an advantage, that it is not so plentiful as 

 the first; because it requires much skill and attention to dis- 

 tinguish them. The third is called capperoe coronde, or 

 Camphorated Cinnamon, because it has a very strong taste 

 and smell of camphor. It grows plentifully in the island, but 

 not in the eastern part ; yet the Ceylonese, when under the 

 Dutch, found means to send it over privately, and sell it to 

 the English and Danes trading upon the coast of Coromandel. 

 Besides, there is a sort of Canella growing upon the continent 

 of India about Goa, which is very like this, though it has no- 

 thing of the true Cinnamon. This sort certainly agrees in 

 many things with the Canella Malabaricus Sylvestris, a wild 

 Cinnamon-tree growing upon the coast of Malabar. The 

 fourth sort is called welle coronde, or Sandy Cinnamon, be- 

 cause upon being chewed it feels gritty, or as if grains of 

 sand were between the teeth. The bark comes off easily, but 

 is not so readily rolled up. It is of a sharp bitterish taste, 

 and the roots yield only a small quantity of camphor. The 

 fifth sort is called sewel coronde, Glutinous or Mucilaginous 

 Cinnamon. This acquires a considerable degree of hardness 

 in drying, has little taste, and an ungrateful smell ; but the. 

 colour is fine, and the fraudulent Ceylonese mix a good deal 

 of it with the best sort, which in colour it much resembles. 

 The genuine or best sort may, however, be distinguished by 

 some few yellowish spots towards the extremities. The sixth 

 sort is called nieke coronrfe,the tree bearing much resemblance 

 to another tree which the natives call nieke gas. The bark 

 has no taste or smell, and is only used by the natives in me- 

 dicine. By roasting it they obtain an oil, with which they 

 anoint themselves to keep off infection ; and they express a 

 juice from the leaves, with which they rub their heads, to 

 cool and strengthen the brain. The seventh is called 

 dawel coronde, or Drum Cinnamon; the wood being light 

 and tough, and used by the natives for making drums. The 

 bark is taken off while the tree is yet growing ; it is of a pale 

 colour, and is used for the same purpose as the sixth. The 

 eighth sort is called catle coronde, Thorny or Prickly Cin- 

 namon ; the tree being very prickly. The bark is Jn some 

 measure like that of the true Cinnamon, but it has nothing of 

 the taste or smell, and the leaves differ very much. The 



