Flora of North America species comparison

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Cinnamomum camphora

camphor laurel, camphor tree
Habit Trees, to 15 m. Branches terete, glabrous, terminal and axillary buds covered by imbricate bracts, young twigs with clusters of scars from fallen bracts.
Leaves

blade ovate to elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, with (1-)3 primary veins, 7-12 × 3-5 cm, base rounded to cuneate, apex sharply acute;

surfaces glabrous except for pubescent domatia in axils of main lateral veins.
Flowers

tepals greenish white, 1-2 mm, glabrous abaxially, pubescent adaxially;

stamens arranged in outer whorl of 6 (actually 2 whorls of 3) and inner whorl of 3.
Drupe

to 9 mm diam. 2n = 24.

Cinnamomum camphora
Phenology Flowering spring (Apr–May).
Habitat Moist subtropical areas, including the Gulf Coast
Elevation 0-150 m (0-500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; LA; MS; NC; SC; TX; native; e Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Cinnamomum camphora is naturalized locally in the flora. Its crushed leaves have a strong smell of camphor. This species yields commercial camphor.

The name Cinnamomum camphora (Linnaeus) T. Nees & C. H. Ebermaier is nomenclaturally invalid.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 3.
Parent taxa Lauraceae > Cinnamomum
Synonyms Laurus camphora, Camphora camphora
Name authority (Linnaeus) J. Presl: in F. Berchtold & J. S. Presl, Prir. Rostlin 2: 47. (1825)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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