Umbellularia
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| Umbellularia californica | ||||||||||||||
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| Missing image Umbellularia_californica_(leaves).jpg Umbellularia californica bay leaves | ||||||||||||||
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Umbellularia californica is an evergreen tree of the family Lauraceae. It is common in coastal forests of western North America from Douglas County, Oregon through California nearly to Mexico. It is also found in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The leaves are smooth edged and oval, similarly to the related Bay laurel and have a similar flavor and use as bay leaves. The wood is very hard and fine, and is made into bowls, spoons and other small items and sold as "myrtlewood". Its fruit is round and green, lightly spotted with yellow, and about one inch in diameter. It consists of a fleshy covering over a hard, thin-shelled seed.
In Oregon, this tree is known as Oregon Myrtle, but in California it is called California Bay Laurel, which may be shortened to California Bay or California Laurel. It has also been called Pepperwood.
The genus Umbellularia is monotypic (having only the one species).fr:Laurier de Californie