LAURAOCEZ. 455 
Prunee and Agrimoniee are to the rest of Rosacee. Accordingly 
the Lauracee 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 Proteacee 
and Eeagnacee, between which we, like most authors, have placed 
them. Nearly all have also noted their affinities with certain 
Berberidacee, and with Myristicacee formerly referred to Lauracea.' 
By Gyrocarpee, Illigeree, and Hernandiea, they affect a certain re- 
semblance, in our opinion, rather than possess a real relationship with 
Alangiea, Nyssee, and Combretacee ; though some authors’ have even 
referred Jiligera, 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.* 
The Lauracee are essentially aromatic plants ;* 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.’ 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 Camphora,’ whereof the type and the 
chief forms and varieties’ contain the camphor in root, stem, and 
branches. It is extracted by distilling these parts, crushed to 
1«< Taurinee sunt Daphnoideis, Proteaceis, 
Santalaceis cet. florum evolutione analoge, 
Terebinthaceis infimis fere collaterales, affini- 
tate Anacardiaceis proxime et harum formam 
inferiorem monochlamydeam constituentes.” (J. 
G. Acarpu, Theor. Syst. Plant., 285.) 
2 Linpu., Veg. Kingd., 718.—B. H., Gen, 
689. 
3 See H. By., Rech. sur ’Aucuba ef sur ses 
rapports avec les genres analogues (in Adan- 
sonia, v. 179). 
4 Cortice foliisque aromaticis v. camphoratis 
Laurinee pleraeque pollent.” (ENDL, Gen., 
316.) 
5 Enpu., Enchirid., 200.— Linpu., Veg. 
Kingd., 586.—GuiB., Drog. Simpl., ed. 6, ii. 
388.—Rosents., Syn. Pl. Diaphor., 228. 
5 See above, p. 428, notes 8,9; 429, fig. 244. 
—GUIB., op. cit., 411.—PrReina, Elem. Mat. 
MMed., ii. p. i, 448.—Linpu., Fl, Med., 332.— 
RosENTH., op. cit., 231. 
7 MzissNeR admits, besides the type, the 
three following: 1. GU ens (C. Camphora, 
var. procera Bu, ;—Camphora pseudo-Sassafras 
Miq. ;—Persea pseudo-Sassafras Zou.) ; 2. 
Rotundata ; 8. Cuneata. Many other species 
of Cinnamomum contain camphor, and LESCHE- 
NAUL? even says that it is obtained in India 
from the old stems and roots of C. zeylanicum. 
