LAURACEM. 



429 



surrounded only by a cupule formed by the hardened persistent 

 receptacle. 1 



Cinnamomum Camphora. 



m mk 





Fig. 241. 

 Flowering branch (~). 



The genus Cinnamomum consists of fine trees or shrubs, all natives 

 of tropical and subtropical Asia. Their foliage is persistent. Their 

 flowers are small, yellowish-green or whitish. A very large number 2 

 of species have been described, which may be reduced to about fifty. 



1 These two last characters alone distinguish 

 the section Camphora from the section Mala- 

 bathrum, which also contains some species with 

 alternate leaves. In the latter section the upper 

 part alone of the perianth comes oft' at a certain 

 age, so that the receptacular cupule remains 

 crowned by six truncate teeth. Its leaf-buds 

 are naked, or only protected by quite rudi- 

 mentary scales. The section Camphora includes, 

 besides the true Camphor-plants, Cecidodaphne 

 (Nees, in Wall. PL Asiat. Rar., ii. 6] ; Syst., 

 202; — Endl., Gen., n. 2035), FarthenoxyUm 

 (Bi., Mus. Luffd.'Bat., i. 322 ;— MlQ., Fl. 



Tnd.-Bat., i. 91(>), which differ in no absolute 

 character. 



2 <;.kktn., Tract., ii. (1791), t. 92 (Laurus). 

 — Jacq., Collect., iv. t. 3. — Bl., Bijdr., 570 ; 

 Rumphia, 25, t. 10-21. — Hook., Sxot. FL, 

 t. 126. — Don, Prodi: Fl. Nepal., 66. Sn B. & 

 /.[(('., in Ahh. d. Munch. Akad., iv. 3, 202. — 

 MlQ., Analect., iii. 14 j Fl. I, id.- Hit., i. b!i5.— 

 Wight, Icon., t. 125, 131. — Thw., Enum. PL 

 Zeyl., 253.— Benth. & F. Mttell., FL dustr., 

 v. 303. In these species the leaves arc sometimes 

 opposite, sometimes alternate. 



