LAUIiACEJS. 



I.,:, 



Prunece and Agrimonies are to the rest of Rosacea. Accordingly 

 the Lauracem have more or less frequently the opposite exstipulate 

 leaves, the aromatic organs, the concave floral receptacle, the val- 

 vicidal anthers of Monimiads. They also come very near Proteacea 

 and Elaagnacea, between which we, like most authors, have placed 

 them. Nearly all have also noted their affinities with certain 

 Berberidaceae, and with Myristicacece formerly referred to Lauraceae. 1 

 By Gyrocarpece, IRigerecB, and Hernandieae, they affect a certain re- 

 semblance, in our opinion, rather than possess a real relationship with 

 Alangiece, Nyssece, and Combretacece ; though some authors'- have even 

 referred Illir/era, Gyrocarpus, and Sparattanthelium, to this last order. 

 But there are many natural orders, far removed by their most 

 perfect types, that seem to approach one another indifferently in 

 this sort of way by those of their genera that have a comparatively 

 simple structure, and a, so to speak, reduced and degenerate 



organization. 3 



The Lauracem are essentially aromatic plants ; 4 this character is 

 very wide-spread if not absolutely constant. Both leaves and bark 

 are sprinkled with pellucid dot-like reservoirs gorged with odoriferous 

 volatile essential oil ; or the wood itself is completely impregnated 

 with similar substances, aromatic or camphoraceous. 5 The genus 

 Cinnamomum is richest in species valued on this account ; it affords 

 Japan camphor as well as the various cinnamons. The true Cam- 

 phor-plant is Cinnamomum Camp/iora, 6 whereof the type and the 

 chief forms and varieties 7 contain the camphor in root, stem, and 

 branches. It is extracted by distilling these parts, crushed to 



1 " Laurinece sunt Ptaphnoideis, Proteaceis, 

 Santalaceis cet. fiorum evolutione analogic, 

 Terebinthaceis infimis fere collaterals, affini- 

 tate Anacardiaceis proximse et harum formam 

 iiiferiorem monochlamydeam coiistituentes." (J. 

 G. Agardh, Theor. Syst. Plant., 285.) 



2 Lindl., Veg. Kingd., 718. — B. H„ Gen., 

 689. 



3 See H. Bn., Peck, stir TAncuba et sur ses 

 rapports anec les genres analogues (in Adan- 

 sonia, v. 179). 



4 "Cortice foliisque aroraaticis v. camphoratis 

 Lanrineaj pleraeque pollent." (Endl., Gen., 

 310.) 



5 Ejvdl., Enchivid., 200. — Likdl., Veg. 



Kingd., 536. — Guib., Drog. Simpl., ed. 6, ii. 

 388.— Bosenth., Si/n. PL Biaphor., 228. 



,; See above, p. 428, notes S, i) ; 429, fig. 244. 

 — Gutj., op. cit., 411. — Pekeika, Elem. Mat. 

 Med., ii. p. i. 418.— Lindl., Fl. Med., 332.— 

 Kosenth., op. cit., 231. 



7 Meissner admits, besides the type, the 

 three following: 1. Qlauceseens (C. CcmpAora, 

 var. procera Bl. ; — Camphora pseudo- Sassafras 

 MlQ. ; — Persea pseudo-Sassafras Zoll.) ; 2. 

 Rotundata; 3. Cuneala. Many other species 

 of Cinnamomum contain camphor, and Lesche- 

 nault even says that it is obtained in India 

 from the old steins and roots of C. zcglanicinn. 



