Camphor Tree

camphor tree [′kam·fər ‚trē]

(botany)

Cinnamomum camphora.A plant of the laurel family (Lauraceae) in the order Magnoliales from which camphor is extracted.

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Camphor Tree 

(Cinnamomum camphora), an evergreen tree of the family Lauraceae. Height, 20–50 m. It has leathery, aromatic leaves. Its small flowers are plain and whitish. All parts of the tree contain essential camphor oil; the camphor is obtained from the oil by oxidation. The wood of this tree is not damaged by insects. It grows wild in South China (primarily on the islands of Taiwan and Hainan) and in southern Japan; it is also grown in these regions for commercial purposes. In the USSR the camphor tree is grown on the Black Sea Shore of the Caucasus, but only on a small scale; camphor is obtained primarily from synthetic sources.