Camphor Bush

Shrub or small tree up to c.8 m, smelling of camphor. Bark with shallow ± vertical and anastomosing ridges, these ± fibrous in appearance. Leaves: petiole 0-6 mm; lamina variable in size from c.2 × 0.5 to c.8.5(-12) × 3.5(-5) cm, narrowly oblong-elliptic, elliptic or oblanceolate to narrowly obovate; upper surface glabrescent with numerous golden glands, grey-green; lower surface white-tomentose with prominent nerves; base cuneate; apex subacute, obtuse or rounded; margin entire. Male capitula with 10-25 florets. Female capitula with 4-5 florets; achenes c.2.5-3(-4) mm, ± flattened-ellipsoid, densely covered in long, sericeous-woolly hairs.

Frequent

Widespread in Africa, from Ethiopia south to S Africa, and in Saudi Arabia.