153 2 The Trees of Great Britain and Ireland 



extrorse, the outer two series introrse ; ovary sessile, with a solitary ovule, and one 

 style, crowned by a capitate stigma. 



Fruit, an ovoid berry, about i in. long, surrounded at the base by the enlarged 

 calyx, greenish or purplish, containing a large seed, with a hard woody outer shell, 

 and a thin papery inner coat, destitute of albumen ; embryo with two large thick 

 cotyledons. 



The Californian Laurel is a native of California and south-western Oregon, 

 occurring mainly in the coast ranges from the Umpqua river southward. It is less 

 abundant on the high western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, where it ascends to 4000 

 ft. in the Yosemite Valley and to 5000 ft. in the Kaweah basin. It is also found on 

 the southern slopes of the San Bernardino mountains at 2000 to 2500 ft., and on the 

 west slope of San Jacinto below 5000 ft. ; and reaches its most southerly point in the 

 Oriflamme Canon near Julian. 



Prof. Jepson gives a detailed account of the remarkable variation in the habit of 

 this species. As a tree of considerable or very large size, it is found on the banks 

 of streams, usually in rich alluvial soil. It forms tall bushy thickets on the northern 

 walls of canons; and becomes a low shrub, 3 to 4 ft. high, in the chaparral of the 

 higher parts of the coast range. A curious prostrate form grows here and there on 

 the bluffs facing the ocean in Mendocino county. 



The finest trees in California, 70 to 120 ft. in height, and 9 to 20 ft. in girth, 

 occur in groves, unmixed with other species, on the Eel river and other streams to 

 the northward. 



I saw this tree in Oregon, where it grows on the alluvial flats of the Coquille ' 

 river, in mixture with Acer macrophyllum, and attains a large size, trees 70 to 80 ft. 

 high and 10 to 14 ft. in girth being common. The tallest which I measured was 

 121 ft. high and 11 ft. in girth. The tree is most remarkable for the extraordinary 

 density of its foliage, through which rain penetrates with difficulty and sunshine 

 never. It sprouts freely from the stump when cut down ; and when isolated, is 

 prone to produce abundant epicormic branches on the stem. 



All parts of the tree contain a volatile oil, which is most abundant in the leaves, 

 amounting to 7^ per cent. This oil resembles menthol and camphor in its effects on 

 the tongue and skin ; and when inhaled produces dizziness and headache. The 

 dried leaves spread about drive away fleas ; and when used as a decoction are a 

 powerful insecticide. The seeds are roasted and eaten by the Indians. 



This species was discovered in 1 792 by Archibald Menzies, on the shores of 

 San Francisco Bay ; and was introduced i into England from Oregon by David 

 Douglas in 1826. One of his original plants, which was living at Kew in 1862, 

 cannot now be found. 3 (A. H.) 



We have seen no large trees in England, where it apparently only forms 

 a bush. There is a specimen, with fruit, in the Kew herbarium, sent by 

 Canon Ellacombe from Bitton in 1876. At Grayswood, Haslemere, a large bush 



1 It is reported to be abundant and of large size also on the Coos and Rogue rivers in Oregon. 



8 W. J. Hooker, Comp. Bot. Mag. ii. 127 (1836), where the tree is referred to as Laurtts regia, Douglas. 



* Cf. Bot. Mag. t. 5320 (1862), where the plant figured was received from Berlin. 



