Talk:Umbellularia

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Untitled[edit]

I have chosen to put this article under the scientific name because no "common name" is really universal. I would not greatly object to it being placed in either California bay laurel or Oregon myrtle, but I am quite certain SOMEONE would object to either placement. WormRunner 05:07, 13 Jan 2004 (UTC)

As it is a monotypic genus, I've put it at the genus name (easier to search for, and generally the wiki standard for monotypic genera) - MPF 00:03, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)

WP California Tag[edit]

Should this page really have a WP:California tag, as the tree is not endemic to California, nor the CFP that I know of?

KP Botany 18:23, 24 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I'm not sure why Insidious-Chaos deleted the paragraph about uses but I have revived the deleted paragraph and added reference links. There seems to be some confusion among the various references about whether the leaves make a nice flavoring or are poisonous, so it seems best to leave information about both possibilities. Personally I've used the leaves for cooking without any ill effects. Apparently some people even convert the nuts into something like chocolate! Amazing what you can learn with a Google search. Msebast 01:39, 1 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Uses[edit]

I added a lot of information about the traditional Native American uses of Umbellularia leaves and fruits, from referenced scholarly publications. This species was apparently one of the most important trees in the ethnobotany of local tribes in its native range, and it seems a shame that the history of human interaction with this plant is not more widely known. The downloadable USDA Plant Guide for this species is very helpful!

Nimmolo (talk) 22:45, 2 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Opportunity for Cleanup?[edit]

This article appears to contradict itself. In the nomenclature section, it appears to say that this species is only found in northern California and Oregon. Then in a later section, when discussing range, it says it ranges as far as San Diego County (in far southern California). If it is referring to different species or subspecies, it is not clear. If it is referring to the same species, then it is contradictory. I don't know which is the right answer but hopefully someone can address this. Feel free to respond to or delete this Discussion tag as appropriate. 69.180.134.187 (talk) 05:42, 23 January 2011 (UTC)[reply]

Insect repellent[edit]

Unless someone acts, first, I want to add a section relating to its insect repellent properties, which are supported by native tradition, woodrat usage and laboratory testing. Kortoso (talk) 16:45, 20 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Comparative Investigation of Umbellularia californica and Laurus nobilis Leaf Essential Oils and Identification of Constituents Active against Aedes aegypti: Umbellularia californica (California bay laurel) and Laurus nobilis (Mediterranean bay laurel) leaves may be mistaken or used as a substitute on the market due to their morphological similarity. In this study, a comparison of anatomical and chemical features and biological activity of both plants is presented. L. nobilis essential oil biting deterrent and larvicidal activity were negligible. On the other hand, U. californica leaf oil showed biting deterrent activity against Aedes aegypti. The identified active repellents was thymol, along with (−)-umbellulone, 1,8-cineole, and (−)-α-terpineol. U. californica essential oil also demonstrated good larvicidal activity against 1-day-old Ae. aegypti larvae with a LD50 value of 52.6 ppm. Thymol (LD50 = 17.6 ppm), p-cymene, (−)-umbellulone, and methyleugenol were the primary larvicidal in this oil. Umbellulone was found as the principal compound (37%) of U. californica essential oil, but was not present in L. nobilis essential oil. Umbellulone mosquito activity is here reported for the first time.[1]

Poisonous?[edit]

Some sources seem to claim that parts of the plant are poisonous (John Wiseman: SAS Survival Guide. Collins Gem, ISBN 978-0-00-470167-7). Shouldn't the article at least mention that?

I know that Wikipedia is not meant to be used as a manual or as a cook book, but many people don't, and some may actually use the Wikipedia information for cooking experiments of their own, especially if there is not the slightest hint of the plant possibly being poisonous. --217.239.15.96 (talk) 08:06, 26 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Some info here[2]. Alexbrn (talk) 08:30, 26 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, it's mentioned in the Jepson manual, which is cited at the foot of this article:[3].

headache treating or inducing?[edit]

The article states that the coastal American Indians used the leaves to treat headache and then goes on to say that the leaves are headache inducing. Inducing means "causing". So which is it? Did they want to cause a headache or cure a headache? Get it straight.

Many chemicals can do either. Please sign your comments. Crescent77 (talk) 21:16, 21 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]