404 



California Laurel 



IV. CALIFORNIA LAUREL 



GENUS UMBELLULARIA NUTTALL 



Species Umbellularia californica (Hooker and Arnott) Nuttall 



Tetranthera californica Hooker and Arnott 



NE of the largest trees of the Laurel family, and, like the Sassafras, a 

 monotype, this evergreen aromatic tree reaches a maximum height 

 of about 30 meters, with a trunk up to 1.6 meters in diameter, ran- 

 ging from Oregon to southern California, preferring moist soil, and 

 being largest and most abundant in river valleys. The generic name is Latin, 

 referring to the small umbels of flowers. 



The bark is thick and dark brown, its sur- 

 face scaly. The young, greenish twigs are finely 

 hairy, becoming smooth, yellowish to light gray. 

 The leather}^ oblong-lanceolate leaves are 5 to 

 14 cm. long, pointed at both ends, short-stalked, 

 dark green on the upper surface, pale green be- 

 neath, finely netted-veined on both sides, and 

 turn bright yellow in late autumn. The flowers, 

 borne in small stalked axillar}^ involucrate 

 umbels, are yellow, opening from January- to 

 May; the calyx is about 9 mm. long, 6-lobed, 

 about as long as the perfect stamens, its lobes 

 obovate or oblong and blunt; there are 9 perfect 

 stamens in three series of 3 each, and 3 sterile 

 inner stamens (staminodes) ; the ovar}^ is smooth, 

 containing i ovule; the style is nearly as long 

 as the perfect stamens. The plum-Hke fruit is 

 oval, 2 to 3 cm. long, yellowish green, with a 

 thin pulp and a large pit with a thin shell. 



The tree is highly esteemed for planting within its natural range, and in coun-_ 

 tries of similar cHmate, but is not hardy in the eastern United States north of 

 Charleston. The wood is largely used for furniture, in carpentiy, for boats, and 

 for woodenware of various kinds; it is hght brown, strong and hard, with a specific 

 gravity of 0.65. The fruit is said to have been eaten by the Indians and the leaves 

 are sometimes used as a flavoring agent. 



Fig. 357. California Laurel. 



