Cinnamomum camphora（L.）Presl (camphor tree)

Family lauraceae

An evergreen macrophanerophyte, the trunk of the Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Presl (camphor tree) has vertical deep crevices all over its surface. Its leaves with salient three veins are smooth and shiny on the surface, with wavy leaf margins and gray blade backs. Because of the essence oil in the vein intersections, it gives off fragrant smell when crumpled with hands. When the aging leaves fall to the ground, they turn red or orange red. Before it grows new leaf shoots in the spring, newly-grown leaves and inflorescence will be contained in the bracts. After the newly-grown leaves sprout up, the inflorescence stretches out from tree armpit or tree top. Because people can extract essence oil from the camphor tree, it was an agro-economic tree species in Taiwan in the not-too-far past. At that time, camphor trees were widely planted all over Taiwan Island. During Japanese Occupation, a Monopoly Bureau was set up to authorize the felling of camphor trees.

　　Source of Pictures: Self-shot Pictures