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Although "mescalbean" is among the plant's common monikers, it bears no relation to the Agave species used to make the spirit mezcal, nor to the peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii), which contains the hallucinogenic alkaloid mescaline. [4] The common name "Texas mountain laurel" is also misleading, as it is unrelated to true mountain laurel. [5]
Kalmia latifolia, the mountain laurel, [3] calico-bush, [3] or spoonwood, [3] is a flowering plant and one of the 10 species in the genus of Kalmia belonging to the heath(er) family Ericaceae. It is native to the eastern United States. Its range stretches from southern Maine to northern Florida, and west to Indiana and Louisiana.
The bay laurel is dioecious , with male and female flowers on separate plants. [8] Each flower is pale yellow-green, about 1 cm ( 3 ⁄ 8 in) diameter, and they are borne in pairs beside a leaf. The leaves are glabrous, 6–12 cm (2–5 in) long and 2–4 cm ( 3 ⁄ 4 – 1 + 5 ⁄ 8 in) broad, with an entire (untoothed) margin.
The fruit is a hard, woody seedpod 2–15 cm (0.79–5.91 in) long, containing one to six oval, bright red seeds 1–1.5 cm (0.39–0.59 in) long and 1 cm (0.39 in) in diameter. All parts of the mescalbeans are very poisonous , containing the alkaloid cytisine ( not mescaline , as suggested by the name).
Mountain laurel blooms showing the conjoined petals. The leaves are 2–12 cm long and simple lanceolate. The flowers are white, pink or purple, in corymbs of 10–50, reminiscent of Rhododendron flowers but flatter, with a star-like calyx of five conjoined petals; each flower is 1–3 cm diameter.
In Oregon, this tree is known as Oregon myrtle, while in California it is called California bay laurel, which may be shortened to California bay [5] or California laurel. It has also been called pepperwood , spicebush , cinnamon bush , peppernut tree , headache tree , [ 6 ] mountain laurel , [ 7 ] and balm of heaven .