Malosma

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Malosma
©2007 Justin Taylor.
©2007 Justin Taylor.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Sapindales
Family: Anacardiaceae
Genus: Malosma
Nutt. ex Abrams
Species

Malosma laurina (Nutt.) Nutt. ex Abrams
Malosma laurina in bloom. The bumblebee on the right side of the flower cluster (and near its middle) sets the scale of the photograph. ©2006 Jonathan Coffin
Malosma laurina in bloom. The bumblebee on the right side of the flower cluster (and near its middle) sets the scale of the photograph. ©2006 Jonathan Coffin

Malosma is a plant genus for which only a single species, Malosma laurina, is proposed.[1] 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.[2] The species was previously assigned to the genus Rhus, and was known as Rhus laurina.

Fruits of Malosma laurina. ©2006 Jonathan Coffin
Fruits of Malosma laurina. ©2006 Jonathan Coffin

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.[3] 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).[4][5] The fruit is a whitish drupe 3 mm (1/8") in diameter with a smooth, flattish stone inside (see photo).[6]

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.[7][4]Malosma laurina is not frost-hardy.[8]

Malosma laurina occurs in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and oak woodland formations. It occasionally grows in nearly pure stands in coastal sage scrub; more frequently, it codominates with California sagebrush (Artemisia californica) and black, white, or purple sage (Salvia mellifera, S. apiana, or S. leucophylla). In mixed chaparral, it often codominates with bigpod ceanothus (Ceanothus megacarpus) and spiny ceanothus (C. spinosus). In woodlands, Malosma laurina is an understory associate in Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii), valley oak (Q. lobata), coast live oak (Q. agrifolia), and California black walnut (Juglans californica).[4]

Malosma laurina is presently used as a landscape plant in frost-free areas.[8] The Chumash made flour from the dried fruits of Malosma laurina, and they used the root bark to make a tea for treating dysentery.[9] Naturally occurring plants have been used as "sentinel plants" by avocado and citrus growers to indicate areas that are free of frost and suitable for their orchards.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Integrated Taxonomic Information System (2007). Malosma, retrieved June 10, 2007.
  2. ^ "NPIN: Malosma laurina (Laurel sumac)," page of the website maintained by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
  3. ^ Sudderth, Carolanne (1999). "The Canyon's Own Perfume: Laurel Sumac," The Santa Monica Mirror, Vol. 1 (5), July 21-28, 1999. Online version retrieved June 10, 2007.
  4. ^ a b c d Howard, Janet L. (1992). Malosma laurina, in: Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer). This article is remarkably comprehensive and well referenced. Webpage retrieved June 12, 2007.
  5. ^ Seiler, John R., Jensen, Edward C., and Peterson, John A. (2007). "Malosma laurina Fact Sheet." Tree identification photographs and information from the Dendrology database and website maintained by the Department of Forestry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Retrieved June 23, 2007.
  6. ^ Gatlin, Connie (undated). Malosma laurina (Laurel Sumac), from the San Diego Natural History Museum website, retrieved June 10, 2007.
  7. ^ Wilken, Dieter H. (1993). Malosma, article in The Jepson manual: higher plants of California, James C. Hickman, editor (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993), ISBN 978-0520082557. Online version retrieved June 10, 2007.
  8. ^ a b Rhus laurina Laurel Sumac, website of the Las Pilitas nursery. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  9. ^ Timbrook, Jan (1990). "Ethnobotany of Chumash Indians, California," based on collections by John P. Harrington. Economic Botany, 44(2), 236-253.

[edit] External links