Umbellularia californica
N. Amer. Sylv. 1: 87. 1842.
Common names: California bay Oregon-myrtle myrtle-wood California laurel pepperwood
Illustrated
Basionym: Tetranthera californica Hooker & Arnott Bot. Beechey Voy., 159. 1833
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.
Trees or shrubs, to 45 m; twigs terete, glabrous or sparsely appressed-pubescent, rarely minutely tomentose. Leaf blade deep yellow-green, shiny, narrowly oblong or narrowly elliptic, 3-10 × 1.5-3 cm, base acute or obtuse, apex acute; surfaces abaxially glabrous, sparsely appressed-pubescent or minutely tomentose, adaxially glabrous; domatia absent. Inflorescences pubescent. Flowers 5-10; tepals 6-8 mm. Drupe usually solitary, 2 cm or more diam. 2n =24.
Distribution
Calif., Oreg., w coast, North America.
Discussion
Varieties 2
Native Americans used Umbellularia californica for medicinal purposes and occasionally as an insecticide (D. E. Moerman 1986).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Leaf blade abaxially glabrous or sparsely appressed-pubescent. | Umbellularia californica var. californica |
| 1 | Leaf blade abaxially minutely tomentose. | Umbellularia californica var. fresnensis |