Malosma

Malosma subsp. var.
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Malosma laurina

Malosma is a plant genus for which only a single species, Malosma laurina, is proposed. Common names for the species include laurel sumac and lentisco (Spanish). Malosma laurina is found along the southern California and Baja California coasts; the name "laurel" was chosen because the foliage is reminiscent of bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), which is an otherwise unrelated small tree of the Mediterranean region. The species was previously assigned to the genus Rhus, and was known as Rhus laurina.

Malosma laurina is a large, rounded evergreen shrub or small tree growing 3 to 5 meters (10-15 feet) tall. In bloom, it is intensely aromatic, and gives a characteristic odor to chapparal. The lance-shaped leaf blades are up to 10 cm (4") long, with reddish veins, petioles and stems (see photo in taxobox). The very small flowers have five white petals and five-lobed green sepals. Large clusters of these flowers occur at the ends of twigs in late spring and early summer. The clusters (panicles) are 7-15 cm (3 to 6 ") long, and are reminiscent of lilac (see photo). The fruit is a whitish drupe 3 mm (1/8") in diameter with a smooth, flattish stone inside (see photo).

Malosma laurina is distributed along the southern California coastline (from Point Conception south to La Paz), and on several of the Channel Islands lying off the coast.Malosma laurina is not frost-hardy.

Malosma laurina is presently used as a landscape plant in frost-free areas.

Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Rhus laurina, Nutt. (Lithraea laurina, Walp.). Aromatic, glabrous shrub: branchlets purplish: lvs. oblong-ovate to lanceolate, acute and mucronulate, rounded at the base, entire, 2-3 in. long: petioles 1/2-1 1/2 in. long: fls. in dense panicles, to 4 in. long, greenish white fr. ovoid, beaked, 1/6in. long, whitish, with a waxy covering. Summer. S. and Low. Calif. —Will thrive in the hottest and driest places; very handsome with its dark green glossy foliage. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Gallery

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  Fruits of Malosma laurina

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  photo 1

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  photo 3

References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Malosma. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Malosma QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)