Umbellularia californica is an evergreen tree of the Lauraceae family. It is common in coastal forests of western North America from Douglas County, Oregon through California nearly to Mexico. It is also found in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The leaves are smooth edged and oval, similarly to the related Bay laurel and have a similar flavor and use as bay leaves. The wood is very hard and fine, and is made into bowls, spoons and other small items and sold as "myrtlewood". Its fruit is round and green, lightly spotted with yellow, and about one inch in diameter. It consists of a fleshy covering over a hard, thin-shelled seed.
In Oregon, this tree is known as Oregon Myrtle, but in California it is called California Bay Laurel, which may be shortened to California Bay or California Laurel. It has also been called Pepperwood.
The genus Umbellularia is monotypic (having only the one species).
California is famous for its earthquakes due partly to the presence of the San Andreas Fault.
California's mountain ranges influence the climate as well; moisture-laden air from the west cools as it ascends the mountains, dropping moisture; some of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes.
California's vast terrain is connected by an extensive system of freeways, expressways, and highways, all maintained by Caltrans and patrolled by the California Highway Patrol.
The east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge also suffered damage from the quake when a 50-foot section of the upper deck collapsed onto the lower deck; the damaged section was repaired one month after the earthquake.
As a result of the earthquake, a significant seismic retrofit was performed on the western span of the Bay Bridge, and the eastern span is scheduled for replacement, with the new span projected to be completed in 2014.
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is the Bay Area metro system headquartered in Oakland, with major transfer hubs at MacArthur and Oakland City Center/12th Street stations.
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