Laurus carolineiisis, 
THE CAROLINA LAUREL-TREE. 
8ynonym.es. 
Laurus carolineiisis, 
Laurier de la Caroline, 
Carolinischer Lorberbaum, Rother Lor- 
berbaum, 
Alloro di Carolina, 
Carolina Laurel-tree, Red Bay-tree, Broad- 
leaved Carolina Bay-tree, 
Carolina Laurel-tree, Red Bay-tree, 
Catesby, Natural History of Cauina. 
Michatjx, North American Sylva. 
Loudon, Arboretum Britannicum. 
France. 
German?. 
Italy. 
> Britain. 
United States. 
Engravings. Catesby, Natural History of Carolina, pi. 63 ; Michaux, North American Sylva, pi. 82 ; Loudon, Arboretum Br. 
tannicum, iii., fig. 1168; and the figures below. 
Specific Characters. Evergreen. Leaves oval, lanceolate, slightly glaucous beneath. Flowers in pedun 
cled axillary groups. Sprengel, Syst. Veg. 
Description. 
HE Carolina Laurel, al- 
* though it sometimes at- 
tains a height of sixty or 
i&"^P seventy feet, in its natu- 
ral habitat, with a trunk fifteen or twenty inches 
in diameter, rarely exhibits a regular form ; its 
stem generally being crooked, and divided into 
several thick limbs, eight, ten, or twelve feet 
above the ground. Upon the trunks of old trees, 
the bark is thick, and deeply furrowed ; but on 
young stocks and branches, it is smooth, and of 
a beautiful green colour. The leaves are about 
six inches long, alternate, oval-acuminate, glau- 
cous on the lower surface, and evergreen. The 
male flowers come out in April or May, in long 
clusters from the axils of the leaves; and the 
female flowers occur in loose bunches, on rather 
long, red peduncles. The berries, which are of an oval form, and of a rich, dark- 
Hue, grow in red cups, and occur two, and sometimes three together. 
Varieties. Michaux states that this tree differs exceedingly in its character, 
according to the latitude in which it grows. Laurus borbonla, of Linnaeus, is 
probably the form which it assumes in the southern states ; and L. carolitiensls, 
the one in which it appears in the more northern states. The three following 
varieties appear to be distinctly marked, all of which were introduced into Brit- 
ain, in 180(5 : 
1. L. c. glabra, Pursh. Glabrous-leaved Carolina Laurel, with leaves slightly 
glabrous. 
2. L. c. pubescens, Pursh. Pubescent-leaved Carolina Laurel, having slightly 
pubescent leaves. 
3. L. c. obtusa, Pursh. Obtuse-leaved Carolina Laurel, with the leaves ovate- 
i ' ituse. 
