California bay is a pungently aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub commonly found in somewhat moist shaded canyons and valleys below 5000'.  The leaves are entire, alternate, glabrous, oblong to oblong-lanceolate and slightly shiny on the upper surface, and they are up to 4" long and about an inch wide with an obtuse-acuminate tip.  The flowers are in axillary umbellulate clusters of 6-10, yellow-green, without petals and with six oblong-ovate sepals in two series of three each.  The umbels are enclosed in bracts which are deciduous at anthesis.  There are nine stamens, six in an outer row, and three in an inner row with two stalked orange glands at their base. The fruit is a round to ovoid drupe which is green at first and aging to dark purple with a light-brown smooth stone.  California bay or bay laurel (aka Oregon myrtle in that state) is scattered throughout the Transverse and Peninsular Ranges and blooms from December to May.  California indians used the leaves as a flea repellant, and also to make a tea to treat headaches and stomach distress.  The wood is hard and polishes well, making it useful for turned objects.  It is also used as a flavor in cooking.  These pictures were taken in the Santa Monica Mts.

Click here for Latin name derivations: 1) Umbellularia 2) californica.
Pronunciation: um-bel-AIR-ee-a ka-li-FOR-ni-ka.
Click here for Botanical Term Meanings.